Golden Eyes
by Rouisu86
Summary: 6th year. Harry decides to stop grieving over Sirius and starts training himself to battle Voldemort. But what happens when he messes up his animagus potion, and one of his companions drinks it? Chapter 6 up!
1. Preparations and accidents

Four Pivett Drive. To a casual observer, it would seem like your ordinary home. Vernon Dursley, husband with a successful job. Petunia Dursley, a loving housewife. Dudley Dursley a, err, a growing son. To most people, there would be absolutely nothing wrong with the house.

That is, of course, if you don't count having a 16 year old wizard living in the smallest bedroom.

Harry Potter. 'The Boy Who Lived.' He was made famous when he, as a one year old, defeated the most feared Dark Lord in a century, Voldemort, and banished him. Voldemort had tried to kill Harry with the infamous Killing Curse, the Avada Kedavra after he had murdered Harry's parents, but the love of Lily Potter, Harry's mother, invoked a powerful counter-charm which deflected the Killing Curse back to Voldemort. For 14 years, the Wizarding world had been living in peace, happy that the feared Dark Lord was dead. Harry, on the other hand, didn't know this. For the first 11 years of his life, he had been living under the cupboard of his only living relatives, the Dursleys of Four Pivett Drive. On his 11th birthday, the half-giant Ruebeus Hagrid rescued Harry, and told him the 'truth'. That he was a wizard, and that there was a 'Wizarding' world existed, a society of magic users. That his relatives, the Dursleys, were muggles – non magic users. Hagrid informed Harry that he was to be a student of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. From that moment on Harry's life would never be the same.

In his first year, he had rescued the Philosopher's Stone from Voldemort and his servant, Quirrel. In his second year, he defeated Salazar Slytherin's Basilisk and Voldemort's 16 year old memory at the Chamber of Secrets. In his third year, he discovered his godfather, Sirius Black, and rescued him from the Dementors of Azkaban. In his fourth year, he was unwilling drawn into the Triwizard Tournament, which ultimately led into the death of his fellow competitor, Cedric Diggory, and the revival of Lord Voldemort. And last year, Harry's Fifth, the wizarding world had thought Harry was a liar for believing Voldemort had returned. Harry and five of his friends, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley, Neville Longbottom and Luna Lovegood had ventured into the Ministry of Magic, in an attempt to save Harry's godfather, Sirius Black. It was a trap set by Voldemort and his followers, and although Harry, his friends, and the Order of the Phoenix had triumphed in the end, Sirius was killed when he was struck by a curse fired by Bellatrix Lestrange, which knocked him into a Veil which to lead to the land of the dead. Because ministry workers had seen Voldemort himself, the Wizarding world was forced to believe that the Dark Lord had returned. Harry had ended his Fifth year, and was now back in Four Pivett Drive. The Dursleys had always hated him for being a wizard, but because of the threats made by Alastor Moody, Nymphadora Tonks and Remus Lupin (members of the Order of the Phoenix), their animosity had lessened.

Harry had always thought that living with the Dursleys was hell. They always put him down as being a worthless brat, he was always getting beaten up by Dudley, he was underfed, and he was forced to do back breaking work for the Dursleys, even though they were wealthy enough to hire people for it. But thanks to the order, he was now being fed three times a day with regular food, the Dursleys hardly spoke to him anymore and he did less chores. Not that it mattered to Harry, because he had plans. Before he left Hogwarts, Harry made one last trip to Hogsmeade (his ban had been lifted)…

**(Flashback)**

"Harry! Hey, look at me, mate!" Ron Weasley was desperately trying to get his friend's attention, but to no avail. The scars on Ron's head due to the injuries gained at the department of mysteries had already begun to heal. Harry was simply looking lifelessly ahead, as he sat in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry's other best friend, Hermione Granger, clicked her tongue,

"You're so tactless!" she said. Ron looked insulted

"What did I do? I was only trying to tell him that we've got a Hogsmeade trip tomorrow. He needs cheering up!" Ron protested. Hermione shook her head,

"He needs time alone. He just lost closet thing he ever had as a father! Let's…let's give him some time alone for now, ok? We'll talk to him when we're on the Hogwarts express." Ron looked worried.

"If you say so, then…"

Harry paid no attention to them. He pretty much zoned out for the rest of the day. Until that fateful moment after potions class…

"Potter! See me after class!" sneered Professor Snape, the potions master. Harry gave him a blank look, and nodded. After the class, he went to see Snape as requested.

"You wanted to see me, sir?" he asked quietly. Snape gave Harry a strange look, before saying,

"Potter…you know that me and Black were not on the best of terms. I almost made a mistake, trying to hand him to the dementors two years ago. I must admit that, I was…excited that particular night. Things have not changed much in these last two years. But now…as much as I hated Black, I did not want him to die. You have my sympathy, Potter. If you try to vouch for Black's innocence posthumously, I will act as a witness, if you wish." Harry stared. Snape, of all people, was being nice to him? Hell must've frozen over!

'I…Thanks, Professor." Harry replied softly. With that, he gave the potions master a nod before walking off. That night, in the Gryffindor boy's dormitory, Harry began to think.

_Sirius…I'm so sorry. It was all my fault! If I hadn't had been so stupid…with my hero complex…you would still be alive. I wasn't even smart enough to use your mirror! What kind of person am I? I led you to your death! And my friends! They were about to die, too! All thanks to my stupidity. I want to see you again, Sirius. I want to say sorry, and that I never had a chance to say I love you like the father and brother I never had. If…if only I could make things right. If only I could do something to avenge your death. If only, I could make you as happy as you were during my parent's wedding…_

Harry slept that night, with a tear running down his face.

On the next day, he dressed up to go to Hogsmeade. At the Great Hall, he was confronted by Hermione and Ron, who immediately started to rant simultaneously,

"Harry, let's go to Hogs-."

"Yeah, you need to be cheer-." Harry held up his hand. They had no idea what he was feeling right now! They had never been alone in their life! They had never lost their family! Harry was about to blow when he mentally calmed himself down, and said quietly,

"Guys…I appreciate what you are trying to do for me. But…I need to be alone, for a while." With that, Harry left his seat in the Great Hall and stalked off. Ron and Hermione exchanged sad looks, before they left to go Hogsmeade.

Harry ventured aimlessly around Hogwarts. He ignored the taunts for Slytherins, or the cries of 'I've always believed that You-Know-Who was back' from the Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs. He walked passed the library, the DADA room, the staff room, with his mind in its own little world. He was still thinking of ways to make up for Sirius' death. As luck would have it, he was passing the Room of Requirement when the portrait of Barnabas the Barmy spoke,

"You 'right there, young man?" asked the portrait. Harry looked up at the figure being clobbered senseless by trolls in tutus.

"No…not really." he replied sadly. Barnabas gave Harry a critical look with his un-bruised eye.

"You've lost someone close to you, haven't you? And you feel responsible for it, am I correct?" Harry stared,

"How'd you know?" Barnabas nodded knowingly, before wincing as a troll kicked him in the back,

"I know that look. When I was alive, I saw that look everyday when I looked in the mirror. I had lost my two younger sisters during my teenage years. I was walking with them hand in hand in a forest when we were attacked by forest trolls. We managed to escape, but we were heavily injured. I managed to survive because of my fit body, but my sisters…they couldn't handle the injuries…they were only 10 and 8…they…you know..." Barnabas paused, and sniffled. The trolls in the picture felt sorry for him, and so they stopped beating him up.

"I'm sorry to hear that." replied Harry sincerely. Barnabas smiled slightly and continued,

"Thank you, young man. Well, I kept looking at myself in the mirror every day. I kept thinking, what if I was stronger? What if I never led my sisters into the forest? My parents didn't blame me, they knew I did my best to protect them. I then came to the conclusion that it was not my fault. I didn't force my sisters to come with me into the forest, they wanted to come. I didn't tell the trolls to attack us, it was their decision. I finally realised that I am not responsible. People do things because they believe in the cause. I went into the forest because I wanted to be an explorer. My sisters followed me into that forest because they loved me that much. And for me, to try and take the blame, to claim that I led them to their doom, would be an insult to their memories. It would insult what they believed in. That they believed in me. And so, I stopped feeling sorry for myself, and I began to live again. I wanted to make my sisters happy, because I remembered that they were always unhappy when I was, and I wanted to make them happy, wherever they are." said Barnabas simply. Harry's eyes widened,

"I…well, thanks for telling me this, Barnabas. You've lifted a burden off of my shoulders." said Harry in a slightly happy voice. Barnabas nodded,

"Glad to be of help, young one. Do visit, won't you? I enjoyed watching your little rebellion." Harry grinned,

"By the way Barnabas, I was curious. Why did you train trolls for the ballet?" Barnabas smirked as he replied,

"Well, my sisters always loved the ballet. What better way to honour their memory than to train trolls in what they loved the best?" Harry laughed at this; this was the first time he had laughed since the fiasco at the Ministry of Magic.

"Nice. Well, see you later, Barnabas." and with that, Harry walked off. He reached into his pocket and drew the Marauder's map, and stopped by the Gryffindor Common Room to get his invisibility cloak from his trunk. Although Filch would not allow anymore students to go to Hogsmeade, Harry need to pay the town a visit. Taking the secret passage to Honeydukes' cellar, Harry began to reflect. Barnabas' words had struck a chord within him.

_I've been such a prat lately. Here I am, pitying myself, when I've always hated being pitied. I chose to go to the Ministry of Magic because I believed in Sirius being captured by Voldemort. It wasn't my fault that Dumbledore didn't tell my the truth. And, although I was pretty snappy with Hermione, she did choose to go with me, even though I told her she didn't have to. Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna all chose to go, knowing that they might face off with Voldemort. Sirius came after me because he loved me that much, that he would risk Azkaban or death to make sure I was safe. Thanks, Barnabas. You've opened my eyes. I've mourned enough. Now I will make sure I will honour Sirius' life and beliefs. I'll make him happy, wherever he is now…_

As Harry walked through the passageway, he cast his thoughts on Voldemort and Dumbledore. They were so powerful, when they duelled each other. He himself didn't stand a chance, even though he was the one who was supposed to kill him. He had frozen up, a scared and weak little boy, and as much as he disliked Dumbledore as of now, if it wasn't for him he would be dead. And so, Harry resolved to become stronger. He wanted to make Sirius happy, and what better way to do it then to defeat the one who had caused all of this trouble? Harry swore that he would fulfil the prophecy, on his terms.

As soon as Harry got the cellar of Honeydukes, he put on his invisibility cloak. Opening the trap door slightly, he made sure no-one was around before he climbed out. He entered the candy store and saw a repeat of his third year, when he observed Hermione and Ron picking out sweets for him. As much as Harry wanted to tell them that he was there, he had things to do. He left the store and headed over to a building that said 'King & Rook Solicitors.' He had seen this shop before, but this was the first time he had even gone there. Heading over to the side of the shop, he took off his invisibility cloak before he entered the premises as casually as he could.

Harry took a look at the office. It was pretty much a wizarding version of those offices he had seen on muggle TV. There was a desk with a smart looking middle aged wizard, who was looking curiously at Harry. Instead of lights, flames illuminated the office. The carpet was a violent purple colour, with yellow stars. Several comfortable seats were situated next to the walls. Harry strode towards the desk and sat down on the chair in front of it. The wizard's eyes flicked towards Harry's scar for the briefest moment, before saying,

"My name is Edward King. Can I help you, Mr Potter?" Harry sighed inwardly, knowing that his scar was a dead giveaway,

"Yes." he replied nervously, "I'd like to apply for emancipation."

Harry had heard of emancipated minors during a particularly boring History of Magic class. An emancipated minor was a wizard or witch under 17, who still had full adult rights. Emancipation was given to these youngsters if they fulfilled certain requirements. If Harry was going to become stronger, he needed to be able to do magic during the holidays. It would also save any troubles he had with the ministry over any more accidental magic. Mr King raised one of his eyebrows at this request,

"Emancipation? I can do that, but there are requirements that must be met." Harry nodded, and the King continued, "Firstly, your parents and god parents must have been deceased, and/or incapacitated. Secondly, you must not have any magical relatives. Thirdly, you need to have enough money to last through the end of your schooling. Do you fulfil those requirements, Mr Potter?" asked King. Harry nodded,

"Yes. My parents died 15 year ago. My godfather, Sirius Black," King blinked at this, "is…at large. I have an aunt on my mother's side, but she is not magical; my mother is muggle born. Finally, I have a Gringotts account which will last me until the end of my schooling days." King seemed satisfied at this, but then asked,

"What about your godmother, Mr Potter?" Harry shrugged,

"I don't know if I even have one, Mr King." King then said,

"Ok. We can check your records, if you like." Harry nodded, "I'll be a moment."

King left his seat and opened a door behind him, which he went through. For five harrowing minutes, Harry waited anxiously for the result. He would be happy if he had a godmother, but he also wanted to be emancipated. King returned with a file in his hands, but also a sorrowful look on his face. Harry became tense.

"You have a godmother, Mr Potter." said King sadly, "Her name is Alice Longbottom."

Harry's insides began to freeze up. Neville's mother, his godmother? He never knew…

"I…I never knew." choked out Harry. King bowed his head as he continued,

"I am sorry to say this, Mr Potter, but Mrs Longbottom is at St Mungos'. She…she is incapacitated."

"I…understand." was Harry's only reply. He already knew this, because he himself had visited St Mungos late last year. He looked up at King's pitying face, and gave him a look which prompted him to continue.

"Yes…I have checked your Gringotts account. You have 2,506 Galleons, 10 Sickles and 19 Knuts left, which is more than enough for your remaining two years at Hogwarts. You qualify for emancipation, Mr Potter…" King passed an official looking document over the table, as well as a quill.

"Please sign here and here." King pointed to the document, "As soon as you do so, please tap the document with your wand."

Harry signed the document, and presented it to King. King gave it a quick inspection, then nodded. Harry tapped the document, which vanished with a puff of smoke. His phoenix feather wand glowed for a few seconds, before returning to normal. A card appeared on the table, which King picked up and gave to Harry.

"Congratulations, Mr Potter. You are now an emancipated minor. You have full rights of an adult, including the ability to do magic outside schooling terms. Of course, you know not to do it in front of muggles as states the law, but in your case, since your aunt knows of magic, it's ok around her." Harry took the card gratefully and shook King's hand.

"Thanks very much, Mr King. And I'd appreciate it if no-one knew I was here." King widened his eyes slightly, and chuckled,

"Don't worry, Mr Potter. All transactions here are confidential."

Harry left King & Rook Solicitors in high spirits. He could do magic now! His goal to avenge Sirius was fast becoming a reality. Putting on his cloak, he strode over to a shady looking bookshop called 'Balthazar's Book Bazaar.' There were rumours about this shop selling expensive light and dark arts books, but Harry needed them. He bought several, including _Moste Potente Potions_,_ Banishing the Dark: Introduction to Light Arts_,_ Erasing the Light: Introduction to Dark Arts_,_ Without a Wand: Guide to Wandless Magic_,_ Auror's Battle Handbook_,_ Legilimency and Occlumency: Playing with the Mind _and_ Defeating Death Eaters: A Guide to Battling You-Know-Who's Minions._ The total cost for the books was 45 Galleons, but luckily Harry had enough to cover it. He was about to take his purchases back to Hogwarts when he found a major problem. How on earth would he get his books back?! There were so many!

The shopkeeper looked at Harry's distressed form. He himself was a Legilimens, and he probed the boy's mind ever so slightly, to discern the truth. After all, not many people would request the types of books Harry had ordered. Seeing and approving what the boy had in mind, he drew two items from below the counter, a purple velvet bag and something that looked like a notebook. He passed the two items to Harry, who looked at the shopkeeper in confusion.

"What's this, sir?" The shopkeeper chuckled merrily and said,

"The bag is a special charm bag; it can fit a large volume of items and yet remain in that shape, and it's also got a feather-weight charm placed on it. It's also charmed with a para-Fidelius charm, which means that only the owner of this bag can see it, unless the owner chooses to reveal it to someone else. The notebook is an order form that is magically linked to London Potion Suppliers, the largest supplier of potion ingredients nationwide. Simply write down what ingredients you need on the notebook, and it will magically write down the cost, amount left in stock and the delivery time. If you want to order ingredients, simply rip off the page you wrote on, and owl it to them. Oh, that book automatically refills its pages when the last page is used. It would come in handy for_ Moste Potente Potions_, eh son?

Harry couldn't believe his luck. How on earth did the shopkeeper know that these were the things he needed the most right now? He was planning to smuggle his books back slowly in one go, and he was planning to raid Snape's potion stores for the things he needed, but now he didn't need to.

"How much?" he eagerly asked the shopkeeper. The shopkeeper simply smiled mysteriously and said,

"For you, my young vigilante, it's free. Use it well, alright?"

"Thanks!" With that, Harry stuffed his books into the bag, and stashed the notebook into his pocket. After leaving the shop, he donned the Invisibility cloak, and made his way back to Hogwarts. After arriving, Harry had to make sure no-one would know of his plans to get stronger, not even Dumbledore and the Order. So upon arriving at Hogwarts, Harry once again took the persona of a sad, broken-hearted young man. He even completed his act by asking Nearly Headless Nick to try and return Sirius as a ghost. It was so good it even fooled Luna, who tried to console him (in her own, Luna-like way). As much as he didn't want to lie to the blonde Ravenclaw, Harry had to try and act like he was really upset over losing Sirius. He still was, but no-one suspected Harry was planning to avenge Sirius. No-one suspected poor, grieving Harry to be reading Moste Potente Potions at night, looking up the potions he would want to brew. Before the Leaving Feast at Hogwarts, Harry had already sent off an order via Hedwig and the Owl Post office to London Potion Suppliers, ordering the ingredients he needed to make a potion that would reveal his Animagus form. He wanted to honour Sirius, and what better way to start than to become an (illegal) animagus? As he left Platform Nine and three quarters with the Dursleys, he passed a quick message to Lupin, who read it out to the others (who hadn't had left yet)

Dear Friends and Order,

You guys have been great to me over the years, and I want to apologise for acting like a prat earlier this year, and throughout the year. Ron, Ginny and Hermione, I'm sorry for taking out my anger at you. I don't deserve great friends like you, when all this time I have been putting my own pride and feelings in front of our friendship. I can only hope you can forgive me.

Professor Moody, Tonks, Kingsley, I want to thank you for being my Advance Guard earlier this year. Even though I didn't like it, you were willing to risk your life to protect mine. I understand that, I respect that, I like that. In my entire life, you're the only people apart from Sirius (there was a tear stain here) who would do that.

Professor Lupin, I have lost my godfather, you have lost your friend and brother figure. Considering how you are, I know that Sirius' friendship meant more to you than most people can understand. We have both lost people, and now I want to ask you something: Moony, would you be my unofficial godfather? I trust and love you like I did Sirius, and I would be overjoyed if you would accept.

Everyone, I am still grieving for Sirius. Although I have not known him as long as the people in Order have, in the brief time he was with me, I knew what a fatherly and brotherly love felt. I can say without fear of contradiction that I loved him the most, out of all of you. His death still hangs over me, and I am still coming to terms with it. All I ask is that you leave me alone for the holidays, as I want to come to terms with his death. I will still owl you; just leave me alone. I am not pushing you away, please understand that (there was another tear stain here). I will be back on September the 1st, hopefully over his death. Please, just give me time and space for now.

Love,

Harry

There was not a dry eye when a sad Remus Lupin read the letter to the intended audience. Hermione, Ginny and Tonks were sobbing quietly, Molly was bawling completely muttering things like, 'that caring, selfless boy', and even Ron was rubbing his eyes frantically. They knew that the author of that letter was a 15 almost 16 year old boy who had undergone so much in the year, as well as his life. To them, Harry had swallowed whatever pride he had and told them how he felt. Far be it from them to ignore Harry's wishes; as long as they got a regular letter from Harry, they would respect his needs for being alone.

Within the Dursley car, Harry smiled to himself.

**(End Flashback)**

And so, Harry got his wish. Even within the first week of his stay at the Dursley's, no-one had shown up to meet him. Sure, Harry did look out the window and saw Tonks trip over a trashcan, or Moody quietly giving stray cats second looks in case they were animagus Death Eaters, but apart from that, Harry's needs were met. The threat the order issued at the Dursleys was stronger than ever since Vernon and Petunia had seen Order members hang around their house, and so they no longer treated Harry with loathing, but rather cold indifference.

Utilising his more cunning side, he suggested to Vernon one night that he needed to use the basement to complete his 'homework', and that the 'funny looking fellow with the messy eye' would get pretty mad at the Dursleys if he wasn't able to do his homework. Vernon sneered at first, but he reluctantly let Harry have the basement. This was good, since the ingredients Harry had ordered at the end of Hogwarts were scheduled to come that night. And because he was now an emancipated minor, he could start on the animagus potion. It wouldn't take long, but the preparation was tricky. Harry had sealed himself up in the basement and cast the _Scentio Nullius_ Charm, which blocked all smells from emerging from the place it was cast. He prepared his potions making kit, when a rather loud banging was heard on the basement door. He opened it, and found a red-face Vernon.

"What's the meaning of this, boy?!" bellowed Vernon. He pointed the ground in behind him. Lo and behold, there were three Barn Owls with rectangular packages tied to their legs. Harry's ingredients were here!

"Oh, they're materials I need for…school, uncle Vernon." replied Harry delicately, as he untied the packages, placed a few Knuts in the coin pouches of each owl, and opened the window to allow the owls to fly away. While he did so, Vernon fumed,

"Now listen here boy, you may have a little leeway now with your freaky friends, but I will not allow you to stink up my house with your twisted rituals! It wasn't enough that your stupid mother tried to poison Petunia-" Vernon only got that far, when Harry pulled out his wand and pointed it at Vernon's neck. Vernon shut up.

"Now listen here, uncle Vernon," Harry hissed, "Never, ever, insult my mother. Or I will do some 'nasty' things to you."

"Are you threatening me, boy?!" snapped Vernon, "I know the rules, and you can't use your freakiness out of school-" Harry cut him off with a icy glare,

"Wrong again, uncle Vernon. You know what an emancipated minor is, uncle?" he asked in a silky voice. Vernon nodded with a grunt, "Well, I am now an emancipated minor. I have all the rights of an adult. That includes the use of my 'freakiness' out of school." Vernon's eyes bulged out,

"You…you can use your…you-know-what?!" he stuttered. Harry nodded grimly.

"Yes. So I give you fair warning, dear uncle. Do. Not. Mess. With. Me. Believe me, I'd rather not live here, but I don't have a choice." With that, Harry tucked the packages under his arm before he slammed the door in Vernon's purpling face. He sat down at his cauldron and began some preparations for the ingredients. He was so engrossed in his work when he barely noticed a 'hoot' sounding from the left. Harry turned and looked at the source of the noise. It was Hedwig, his beloved snowy owl. He grinned at the bird and stretched out his arm; Hedwig flew towards Harry's arm and perched on it. Harry stroked his owl's smooth feathers, before saying,

"Hey Hedwig, thanks. You're my only friend here in this hell, you know that?" Apparently, Hedwig did, because she rolled her gold coloured eyes as if she also shared Harry's trials and tribulations, "But everything's better now. You can fly out at night, because the Order and I threatened the Dursleys," Hedwig let out a triumphant hoot, "Yeah, I know you'd be happy. But for now, could your perch elsewhere? I'm going to make a potion." With that Hedwig let out a reassuring hoot before perching on the edge of a bookrack.

With that, Harry began to work on his potion. He really wanted to see his animagus form; all wizards and witches had one, but very few could successfully transform to an animal and back, and retain their humanity. He dutifully poured in the ingredients, and while doing so, he could only imagine what form he would have. Maybe an owl, so Hedwig might have company. Maybe even a stag like his father! He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he realised that he had finished his potion without knowing it. He poured some of the contents into a goblet, when he took a look at the liquid. The liquid in cauldron was bluish-white, but the diagram in _Moste Potente Potions_ was more of a grey colour.

_Damn, what did I do wrong?_ wondered Harry. Then he saw the problem. His supply of Kappa blood had not been opened. He had forgotten to add the Kappa blood! Cursing, he placed the goblet to the side and banished the contents of his cauldron with the _Evanesco_ spell. Luckily, Harry had bought extra supplies of his ingredients, since he knew that his potions work was not sensational. He was about to begin work on another potion when a hissing noise caught his attention. He looked at the source of the noise, and the sight that greeted him made his blood stand still. He did what any person in his situation would do. He screamed,

"NO! HEDWIG! DON'T DRINK THAT!!!"

To be continued (of course)…

Now, I'd create a poll, concerning Harry's relationship with Dumbledore. There are three options:

1) Dumbledore regain Harry's trust fully, or

2) Dumbledore regains some of Harry's trust, but Harry is now somewhat colder and secretive, or

3) Harry is now jaded and mistrustful of Dumbledore, and strives to keep secrets from him.

You decide what you think would be best!


	2. Getting to know the new you

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its associated trademarks are the property of J.K Rowling. The plot and original characters in this fiction are my own. This fictional work is written for recreational purposes only. No copyright is intended.

(AN: I forgot to add the disclaimer on chapter 1, but from now all of my chapters will have this disclaimer.)

Warning: Some sections may be inappropriate for younger readers.

Harry could only stare in horror as his beloved snowy owl dipped her beak into the goblet and drink down the failed potion. He saw steam rise from Hedwig's feathery form, but Hedwig seemed completely oblivious to this, and she devoured the contents of the goblet without hesitation. She then flew off from the table and landed on the basement floor, hooting softly at Harry despite the steam rising from her body. For a wild moment, Harry thought that his owl was safe; that she had not been poisoned.

Fate decided to intervene and screw Harry over again.

Suddenly, Hedwig began to shake. She wasn't convulsing, but rather vibrations were running throughout her body. The rising steam began to expand, so it looked like Hedwig was surrounded by a grayish aura. Without hesitating, Harry sprung forward, determined to save his beloved owl from whatever doom awaited her, even though he didn't know what was going on. He was about to reach for Hedwig's trembling form when a sudden burst of white light originating from Hedwig's body illuminated the room, blinding Harry and causing him to stumble backwards, where he lay covering his eyes. After waiting for a few minutes, Harry moved his hand away and anxiously took a look at Hedwig. But there was one problem.

Hedwig the snowy owl was there no longer.

In her place was a girl, around about Harry's age. She had long, silky medium brown hair that reached the small of her back. She had a smooth, oval shaped face that Harry swore resembled someone he knew. She lay on the floor on her side, apparently unconscious.

Oh, and she was totally naked.

Harry's mind took a few moments to register the girl's lack of dress, and when it did, Harry's face flushed an intense red that would've rivalled the Weasley's hair colour. He did what anyone would do, if they saw their pet owl turn into a teenage girl.

"MERLIN'S BEARD! WHAT THE F—K?!" Harry screamed in confusion. Ignoring his urge to blush even more, he ran to the girl's side and began to shake her delicate shoulders, in a desperate attempt to wake her up.

"Hedwig? Hedwig! Whoever you are, please, just wake up!" he whispered frantically. After a minute of tense shaking, the girl's eyes opened. She turned her head to look at Harry.

Harry's emerald green eyes met a pair beautiful, golden yellow eyes. For a few endless moments, both Harry and the girl just stared at each other's eyes. Harry then managed to snap out his trance, and stroked the girl's cheek in a worried fashion. He then asked the girl,

"Hey, are you ok?" The girl responded by tilting her head to the side, and smiling. Harry was dumbfounded. He didn't know whether to take that as a yes, or as an 'I didn't understand a word you just said' gesture. Harry decided to press on,

"Hey, can you understand me, miss?" he asked slowly and loudly, much like how Professor Umbridge addressed Hagrid, as someone slow and unintelligent. The girl responded by tilting her head to the other side, smiling happily as she stroked Harry's cheek, like he did for her a few moments ago. Harry let out an exasperated breath.

_Great...I poison my owl, she turns into a girl, she's naked, and she can't understand a word I say. Man, does fate ever give me a break?_

"BOY!!!" bellowed out uncle Vernon's voice.

Harry felt like something cold and wet was sliding down his body as he heard his uncle's voice. What if he walked in on him; what would he think? To see his blasted nephew right next to a naked girl? He'd flip out! Harry began to pray to whatever God would listen for a plan.

Luckily, the God of misfortune was taking a lunch break at this moment.

"Boy!" repeated uncle Vernon, "Me, your aunt and Dudley are going to go shopping. I better not find any mess here when we come back or there will be hell to pay! You get me, boy?! You keep your freakiness in the basement!" There was a sound of feet walking out the door, followed by the sound of locks sliding into place. Harry then heard Vernon's company car start up, and leave the driveway. Harry then let out the breath he had been holding. He was saved! For the meantime, that is. He turned to the girl,

"So you don't understand me at all?" It was a stupid question, but Harry needed to ask. The girl simply smiled happily at Harry, before she drew herself up, and rested on her knees. Harry gave out a deep sigh.

"We've got a lot of work to do."

Harry had managed to drag the girl out of the basement. She wasn't resisting, per se, but she was utterly fascinated by her surroundings. As Harry trudged along through the Dursley residence, she looked around and touched whatever things she could in wonder. She was acting a lot like how Mr Weasley would, if visited a mechanic's workshop. Harry had to continuously swat away her hand, or steer her away from the walls. Eventually, Harry made it to his bedroom with the girl in one piece. Tapping the girl on the shoulder, he pointed to his bed.

"Sit down" Harry commanded gently. The girl gave him a quizzical look, and tilted her head. Harry mentally groaned

_Great…I forgot she can't understand me…_Harry then directed the girl to his bed, and bent her body so that she would sit on it. It was very awkward, not because she was naked, but because the girl didn't seem to want to sit. Eventually, Harry gave up. The girl seemed to smile at Harry's failed efforts, and Harry narrowed his eyes at this. Although the girl probably didn't know what was going on, Harry was feeling kind of insulted.

"Fine…stay there." Harry then grabbed the girl's shoulder, and applied some pressure, to signify that he didn't want her to move, "I'm going to find you some clothes." The girl actually followed Harry's order this time, and looked around Harry's small and sparse room while he rummaged through his broken down cupboard for some suitable clothes.

_Damn…I don't have anything but Dudley's hand-me-downs, and my Hogwarts uniform is out of the question…wait! I can use that! And those two! Whew…_

Harry drew out a plain grey shirt and a pair of black shorts he had used as a 13 year old. It seemed cheap, but because they were Dudley's, they were large enough to fit the girl. He also took out some clean briefs he used during his stay at Hogwarts. Harry approached the girl with clothes in his hands.

"Hey, do you know how to dress yourself?" he asked hopefully. Once again, the girl gave Harry her oblivious smile. Harry fought the urge to roll his eyes.

_Why do you hate me, God? Considering what happened with Cho last year, you do this to me now? Do you get your jollies from making of me? Ugh…_

"Ok…that means I'll have to dress you, then…" he said, more to himself than the girl. He set down the shorts and shirt, and opened up the briefs. He was about to order the girl to raise her leg, but he remembered that she can't understand him. So he grabbed the girl, and pushed her onto his tiny bed, causing her to lie on her back. Harry blushed as he did so, understand the innuendo of the situation, but the girl looked like she wanted to do it again. All of Harry's blood rushed to his cheeks as he slowly edged the briefs up the girl's legs.

_Her legs are smooth…what am I thinking?! Argh!!! I've never done this kinda thing before!!!_

Harry struggled to keep his blood within his nose as he pressed on with the task. Try as he might, his eyes wandered every now and then into the area between the girl's legs. Breathing in and out, he slowly but surely managed to get the briefs into place. He let out a large breath as he did so. Phase one was complete. Harry then moved on onto the shorts, it wasn't so bad since certain parts of the female anatomy weren't staring him in the face this time. Then, he moved onto the shirt.

_Oh crap…_

"Uhh…would you stand up?" The half naked girl looked confused. Harry set his jaw and pulled the girl upright. Raising her arms into the air, he said,

"Keep them there." As soon as Harry let go, the girl let her arms down with a giggle. Harry fought the urge to swear.

"I said to keep them up!" he snapped. The girl blinked her eyes innocently she then grabbed Harry's arms and tried to pull them up, much like how Harry did to her. Harry pushed the girl away, his patience starting to crack.

"No!" he said vehemently, "Your arms. Your **arms**." Harry grabbed the girl's arms, pulled them up, and gripped them as if to emphasise his point, "Keep them up!" He kept the girl's arms up in the air for several seconds. He let go, and was surprised to see the girl keep her arms in the air. He grabbed the shirt, and was just about to put them on the girl when she promptly dropped her arms right back down. Harry let out a howl of frustration.

"STOP DOING THAT, DAMMIT!!!" He screamed. The girl looked surprised at first, before breaking into a laugh. That laugh was enough to calm Harry down. Never before did he hear a voice sound like silver rain to his ears. He stopped and spent a few moments hearing the girl's laugh. Sighing, he gave the girl a wry smile.

"Guess I have to find another way, huh? You're going to kill me one day, and I've only known you for less than 15 minutes!" he said ruefully. The girl stopped her laughing, and her face once again took the 'happy but confused' look. Harry grabbed the shirt, and with the shirt in hand, grabbed the girl's arms and lifted them up. Before the girl brought her arms back down, he quickly stuffed the shirt down her arms, and pulled it over her head. The girl seemed surprised, but Harry himself had a look of triumph on his face. He proceeded to stuff the shirt down (It was quite baggy) and was about to finish the job when his hands felt something round, and firm.

_Oh boy. Ohhhh Boooyyyy…_

Harry found his hands on the girl's breasts. The girl looked down on the location of Harry's hands, her golden eyes twinkling in wonder. Harry stared at his hands for a few moments, and drew them back quickly, as if he was just burnt. The girl tilted her head to the side as he did so, before breaking into one of her trademark smiles. She looked like she just had the time of her life. Harry desperately tried to avoid fainting out of sheer embarrassment. He quickly finished tucking the shirt in, before pulling the girl onto her feet. He gave her an appraising look while the girl tugged on the fabric of her clothes.

"Well, it's a bit loose, but it'll have to do, for now." Harry said grimly. The girl looked into Harry's eyes and smiled, as if she were grateful for what Harry had just done. Once again, Harry was drawn into the girl's beautiful gold eyes. Both snapped out of their staring contest when a rumbling sound came from the girl's stomach. The girl looked almost sheepish as Harry chuckled,

"Hungry, huh?"

Harry then proceeded to drag the girl out of his tiny bedroom, down the stairs and into the kitchen of Four Pivett Drive. The girl didn't put up too much of a resistance this time; she was too occupied checking out her clothes. Harry led her to one of the chairs and, after tapping her on the shoulder to get her attention, gestured to the chair,

"Sit." he commanded. The girl gave Harry a blank look, before she began to inspect the chair, looking and poking it. Harry rolled his eyes.

_Time to do this the hard way again…_

Pulling out the chair, Harry grabbed the girl by her shoulders and forced her down onto the wooden chair. It was a bit awkward, because the girl didn't seem to want to bend her knees. Harry solved this problem by using one hand to bend her knee joints, and using the other to force her shoulder down. After some struggle, Harry finally managed to get the girl to sit. Harry pushed the chair in, and then proceeded to raid the cupboard for some food.

_Hmm…what have we here? Damn, I could cook something but the Dursleys would get suspicious. Probably get onto my case about 'poisoning their food with my freakiness. Oh well…wait! I can feed her those chips!_

Harry picked out an unopened packet of nacho flavoured Doritos. He strode over to the table, took a seat opposite the girl, opened the packet and presented it to the girl. He caught the girl's attention by clicking his fingers, and pointed to the pack of nachos.

"Eat." The girl looked at the morsel with curious eyes. She poked the packet, but apart from that, she didn't take a chip. Harry sighed. He took out one of the triangular shaped chips, and presented it to the girl. Surprisingly enough, the girl understood what Harry was trying to do, because she took the chip with both hands. She stared at the chip, but she didn't eat it.

_Argh…desperate times call for desperate measures…_

Harry reached over the table and took the girls hands with his. He then guided the chip towards the girl's semi-opened mouth.

"Good…now just pop it in…" he said carefully. The girl looked scared. She clamped her mouth shut and inched her head away. Harry groaned.

_Must…not…lose…my…temper…this…was…my…fault…_

"Ok…maybe if you see me do it, maybe you'll do it too." Harry took a chip out of the packet and, making sure the girl's eyes were trained on him, slowly moved the chip towards his mouth, where he opened his mouth wide. To Harry's relief, the girl made a crude imitation of Harry's actions. She reluctantly opened her mouth, and she slowly inched the chip she was holding towards her mouth, where she stopped. Harry smiled tightly.

_Finally…some progress…_

"Now…you do this…" Harry slowly put the chip into his mouth, and slowly began to chew on it. He then swallowed the chip. The girl, after hesitating a bit, did the same. She put the chip into her mouth, and began to chew and swallow. At seeing this, Harry closed his eyes and breathed easily.

"Ahh!!!" squealed a voice. Harry's eyes opened as he searched for the voice. It came from the direction of the girl. She was holding out her pointer fingers from each hand. Harry inspected her fingers. There were teeth marks on it.

The girl had tried to chew her fingers.

Harry would've laughed if the situation was different. Instead, he mentally slapped himself on the forehead. He made a mental note to be more complete in his instructions. Harry once again picked up a chip from the packet and repeated the eating process, but making sure this time that he let go of the chip once it was in his mouth. The girl's eyes followed Harry with rapt attention. Harry then presented the girl with another chip, which she took hesitatingly. Harry prayed that she would get it right this time.

To his relief, the girl managed to eat and swallow the chip without disfiguring herself.

Harry smiled at the girl. It was heartening, to see the girl look so happy after eating the nacho. She must like the flavour. She looked at Harry, and then looked wistfully at the packet of chips. Harry chuckled,

"Hey, it's all yours, you know." Harry inched the packet towards the girl. The girl hesitated at first, then reached into the packet and drew out a chip, just as Harry had done earlier. She looked amused at her own daring, but Harry grinned. She was a fast learner. Harry watched the girl eat several chips, one at a time, before he decided to intervene. He reached for the packet and pulled out several chips. He then ate them in front of the girl. The girl looked in awe at first, but when Harry guided her hand back into the chip packet, she flushed with pleasure. She grabbed several chips, and began to eat them. Harry patted the girl on the head to signify a job well done, and surprisingly enough, the girl giggled.

_Hmm…what if she's thirsty? I better get her something to drink as well_

Harry left the girl to two glasses of water. The girl didn't seem to mind as she stuffed her face in with nachos. Harry returned with a glass of water in each hand. Setting one down on his side of the table, he also set one down in front of the girl. She immediately stopped eating and looked at the glass with amazement, as if she never saw something like it before.

"Now," Harry said slowly and clearly, "You do this." Harry picked up his glass and drank from it. The girl watched curiously, but didn't pick up her glass. She eventually did it, however, when Harry guided her hand to the glass. She slowly picked up the glass, brought it to her mouth, and looked at Harry curiously. Harry took this as a sign that she wanted another demonstration. He slowly drank the water again, and to his amazement, the girl managed to mimic his actions without killing herself. She drank the water and looked refreshed. Harry smiled, not just as the girl's progress, but also at his teaching ability.

_Heh…she looks kinda cute, learning how to eat and drink_

Harry watched with satisfaction as the girl ate and drank like a normal person. Well, almost, she did dribble some water down her shirt, and she did almost choke on a nacho because she tried to swallow it like water, but apart from that, the snack was a success. As soon as the cup and packet of nachos were empty, she placed her arms to the side, looked at Harry and smiled joyfully. Harry threw the empty packet away and quickly washed the two cups, while the girl looked on innocently. After tidying up, Harry once again took hold of the girl's hand.

"Let's go."

Harry led the girl back to his tiny bedroom. It was about 9:00 in the evening, since the girl had already eaten, Harry figured that he should put her to sleep before his relatives come home. Upon reaching the bedroom, Harry gestured the girl to sit on his bed. She did, but he could've sworn he saw a naughty grin on her face as she did so. As Harry soon as Harry sat down himself and looked at the girl, a sudden thought hit him.

_Hey…I don't know her name! It would be stupid to call her Hedwig, because she's not. Since she doesn't know anything, I guess I'll have to call her something. Problem is, how I am going to teach her to recognise her own name?_

"Hey," said Harry, tapping the girl on the shoulders, "I'm going to give you a name." The girl looked puzzled, and Harry knew from that look that he still had a lot of work to do. He then pointed to himself

"My name is Harry." he said slowly and loudly, making sure the girl caught every word, "Harry. HA-RRY." He kept repeating his name over and over again, until he was sure she got the message. He held the girl's hand, and pointed to himself. Harry then pointed to his mouth and started to repeat his name.

"HA-RRY. HA-RRY. HA-RRY." After this, he pointed towards the girl's mouth and nodded. Harry prayed that she understood what had just happened. The girl looked confused, however. Minutes passed and she said nothing. Just when Harry was about to give up, she spoke.

"Ha…rry." Harry stared. The girl's voice was soft and melodious; it soothed him and carried a lot of warmth and affection. Harry shook his head. Whoever thought the girl would have such a nice voice? The girl, on the other hand, seemed quite pleased with her efforts. She repeated Harry's name.

"Harry, Harry, Harry." Harry smiled, causing the girl to smile herself.

_Good. She knows who I am. Now for phase 2. I need to think of a good name for her. Let me see…hmm…that won't do…sounds too weird…bad mental images…ah ha! Perfect!_

Harry pointed to the girl, and used his other hand to direct the girl's hand to herself. Puzzled, the girl looked at Harry and blinked her golden eyes. Harry took a deep breath, and continued.

"Mana. Your name is Mana. MA-NA. MA-NA. MA-NA." he repeated slowly. The girl looked deep in thought for a moment, before giving it a shot.

"Ma…na. Ma…na." she whispered, almost to herself, "Mana. Mana! Mana!!!" she exclaimed happily. Harry cheered for her.

"Yes! That's your name! Your name is Mana!" Mana smiled happily at Harry, the same smile she used when he clothed her. It was the smile of a grateful soul. Harry then tested on what Mana had just learned. He pointed to himself. Mana looked worried at first, but she spoke.

"Harry." she said tentatively

"Yes!" exclaimed Harry jubilantly, causing Mana to smile. It must've occurred to her that she did something right. Harry then pointed to Mana's chest and waited. This time, Mana did not hesitate.

"Mana." she said confidently. Harry whooped for happiness, while at the same time, indulging in the sound of Mana's gentle voice. Harry and Mana kept sitting in their spot quietly, until Mana yawned. Harry knew it was time to tuck her into bed. But how? Aunt Petunia always opened Harry's door every morning, and surely she would see Mana.

_The Invisibility Cloak!_

Harry opened his trunk (The Dursleys, after being threatened by the Order, allowed Harry to keep his belongings as long as he did not do anything 'weird' in their presence) and took out his invisibility cloak. He placed it at his feet, because he needed Mana to get into bed first. She sat unmoving at her spot, looking politely at Harry. Once again, Harry did something drastic. Despite his skinny form, he took Mana into his arms and laid her on his bed. He shifted her body around, so she was on one side, and her head was resting on the pillow. He placed his worn out blanket over her body, causing Mana to sigh in comfort. He stood at Mana's side, waiting for her to go to sleep. As soon as she had drifted off, he picked up his Invisibility cloak and draped it on top of Mana, but under the blanket so it looked like nothing was there to the casual observer. Harry let out a deep breath of relief. The evening had worn him down, but now that Mana was asleep, he figured he could get back onto his plan of getting stronger. Rummaging through his trunk, he brought out his O.W.L Transfiguration book and began reading.

It wasn't long until the sound of the Dursley's car pulled up into the drive way. Harry halted his reading ('Conjuring objects') to listen for his relatives to enter the house. Sure enough, they did, but they were in deep conversation

"…So, she wants us there tomorrow morning?" That was Aunt Petunia, for sure.

"Aww, I don't like her dogs, Mum." whined Dudley

"Don't say that, you're her favourite nephew." replied uncle Vernon proudly. Petunia let out a murmur of disdain.

"That reminds me, what about the boy?" she asked scornfully.

"Don't worry, I've got it all planned, dear." answered Vernon confidently. Harry could hear the steps of his overgrown uncle approach closer, and closer to his bedroom door. Making sure that Mana was safe under the Invisibility cloak, he pretended that he was reading.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"Open up, boy!" bellowed uncle Vernon. Harry put down his book and strode to his door. After unlocking the door, he opened it to come face to face with his hated uncle.

"Listen, boy. Me, your aunt and Dudley will be leaving tomorrow. We met your Aunt Marge and it seems she was quite distressed over the death of her dog, Mr Fangs. Now," Vernon looked almost disgusted at the sight of Harry, but continued, "We will be staying at her summer house for three weeks, boy. You will not be coming, you hear me?" Harry nodded.

_Three weeks of no Dursleys! Oh, thank you God!_

"So," continued Vernon, "You will stay here and mind the house. I will permit you to…watch TV, but you are not allowed to enter our rooms. Also, this will feed you for the three weeks," Vernon gestured for Harry to extend his palm, and Harry was caught quite surprised when Vernon tipped four 50 pound notes and five 20 pound notes in his hand, "As I said, this money is coming from the goodness of our heart. We could've let you live with Mrs Figg, but she doesn't deserve to put up with riff-raff like you." he sneered, although Vernon clearly looked disgusted at giving Harry so much money.

"However, you must clean the house and garden. If I see so much as a speck of dust on the floor when we come back, you will pay, boy," he growled, "Tell your freaky friends that we're gong but we've given you money to live on, understand?" Vernon asked fiercely.

"Yes, uncle Vernon." replied Harry, trying hard to keep his glee from showing. Vernon turned his nose up.

"Remember, that money is for food only. But knowing you, you'd probably spend it on drugs for your freaky friends, disgusting boy. We're leaving tomorrow at 5:00 in the morning boy." Vernon snapped, "I've given you instructions and money, and I expect that you will keep your side of the bargain." And with that, Vernon stalked off, muttering things like 'blasted freaks and their death threats' under his breath. Harry closed the door, locked it, and eagerly stuffed the money into his trunk.

He could hardly believe his luck. No way the Dursleys would ever be this lenient on him! Harry reasoned that the Order's threats, particularly Moody's, kept his insane relatives in check.

_This is great! Conjuring stuff is difficult, but conjuring food doesn't seem to hard. If I can master conjuring food, I can use this money to buy clothes for Mana! Awesome!_

Harry returned to reading his transfiguration book. Conjuring things is very difficult, and even if it was done correctly, conjured objects only stay in existence for about half and hour to a day, depending on the power and skill of the wizard or witch who cast it. Professor McGonagall, being a transfiguration mistress, was probably one of the only people in the world who could conjure something into existence and keep it permanent. Harry remembered how, in his second year, Professor McGonagall had conjured sandwiches and pumpkin juice for them after he and Ron were almost busted for crashing into the Whomping Willow. Keeping this in mind, Harry focused on the text:

"**Conjuring objects requires great force of mind, and powerful magical ability, for large or complex objects. That is why wizards and witches still prefer to harvest and create objects normally rather than conjure them into existence. House-witches are probably the only type of normal magic users who can conjure something constantly (food) and make it last long enough to be useful.**

**To conjure an object, one must keep the item they want to conjure in their mind's eye. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The wizard or witch must know EVERYTHING about the object. What it feels like, what it's made out of, what it does, and in the case of food, what it tastes like. If you don't do this, than the object you conjure may not match what you want. For example, if you were you to conjure parchment and you simply think of it as yellow-brown and in a roll, you might just get a bread roll instead. You must know what a parchment feels like, what it's made out of, and what you do with it to make conjuration successful. If you can do this, than you can pretty much become self-sufficient in life.**

**The steps in conjuring are as follows: Hold your wand, pointing forwards as you visualise the object you wish to conjure. Now, bring your wand tip up, swing your wand in a loose circle counter-clockwise, then point at a space in front of you and utter the words, "Conjurus", while focusing on the object you want to conjure (Left handers, make a clockwise swing with your left hand) . If you do it right, then the object will be formed by magic and be brought into existence. It may seem tiring at first (it depends on your magical power), but with time and practice, it should become second nature."**

Reading the extract carefully, Harry decided to conjure chocolate chip cookies at first. Focusing on the cookies, he made the wand movement and said, "Conjurus!" Harry's first attempts were less than satisfactory. Not only did they stay in existence for less than a minute, but also his conjured cookies did NOT look like cookies. One looked like the head of a Blast-Ended Skrewt with boils, another looked like a rotten apple. Harry was getting tired and discouraged, and was about to give when he heard rustling from his bed. He remembered Mana, and resolved to try harder.

_I have to do this. For Mana. It's the least I can do, for my potion screw-up._

After an hour of constant practice, Harry was finally able to conjure three chocolate chip cookies. He picked them up and ate them, savouring their flavour,

"Wow…I did it! And they're not bad, as well, although I'd take Mrs Weasley's cookies any day." After devouring his creations, Harry packed away his book and wand, satisfied that the Ministry of Magic will no longer be after him for any more problems with the 'Use of Under Aged Wizardry'. Harry, after changing into his pyjamas, got into the other side of bed. Because he was skinny, and Mana's body was slim and lithe, both could fit comfortably in the bed. Harry took off his glasses and set on the bedside table, before he began to doze off.

_I wonder…if I'll be able to take care of Mana…_

(AN: I don't know what the purchasing power of British pounds is, so if that is too much (or too little), I'll adjust my story accordingly.)

Thanks to all my reviewers. Here's a hint of what will happen next chapter: Do you really think Mana is the kind of girl that can buy her own clothes? Oh, and I hope you do realise that Harry has now way of contacting the Order now? What would they think? (hint hint)

At the time of publishing this, for my poll (err…stupid typos), there are two votes for option 2 and three votes for option 3. Seems like there's definite resentment for Dumbledore by the readers…


	3. Encounters at Vauxhall Road

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its associated trademarks are the property of J.K Rowling. The plot and original characters in this fiction are my own. This fictional work is written for recreational purposes only. No copyright is intended.

A good night's sleep is something that Harry Potter craves. After all, being haunted by the dreams of your dying parents, a demented Dark Lord and the murder of your own godfather meant that nightmares were quite constant in Harry's life. He thought that with Hedwig's, no, Mana's presence, he would be able to get a good night's sleep.

He thought wrong.

First of all, Mana tended to move around a lot while she was asleep. For Harry, that meant getting knee'd elbowed by Mana's unseen limbs. What was the point of worrying about nightmares when one couldn't even sleep in the first place? And then there was that particular incident during 2am in the morning, when Harry had awoken because he felt someone move. Harry looked around and saw something that made him almost scream in terror and embarrassment.

He saw Mana, out of the bed and standing on her feet. The invisibility cloak had been wrapped around her waist, so when Harry first took a look at her…

_Oh my God! It's a freakin' ghost!!!_

When Harry had calmed down (and had removed the invisibility cloak off Mana), he then saw the second part of his predicament.

Mana was hopping from each foot, with her hands covered over her pelvic region.

Yes, that meant that it was time to teach Mana **_toilet training_**. Harry had almost fainted from the very idea of doing that.

In the end, he had to drag Mana to the toilet (in the invisibility cloak of course) and taught her the fundamentals of relieving one's self. Poor Harry would've rather faced Voldemort and hundred Dementors then to relive the incident. Let's just say Harry drew on the knowledge from the things he had viewed while Dudley was watching his secret stash, and the things he had heard from older Gryffindors at Hogwarts. To say the least, it was a bit messy and awkward, and had it not been for the fact that Harry had more guts than your average 15 year old, he would've passed out from the shame. Mana herself was a bit embarrassed by the red tinge she had on her cheeks the whole time, but she seemed to be enjoying Harry's discomfort nonetheless. When toilet training was complete (and when Harry was sure that Mana could do it herself from now on), he dragged the oblivious owl-turned-human back to his room, and put her to sleep.

Morning.

Harry woke up, still slightly red-faced from the events during the night. Putting on his glasses, he saw the date from the shabby calendar on the wall of his bedroom. The 10th of July. Exactly ten days after he arrived back in Pivett Drive, and the start of his three weeks of his new found freedom.

Harry left his room and inspected the house. The Dursleys were nowhere to be seen.

_Yes! They're gone!_

On the kitchen table, however, was a set of the house keys, and a message that contained mostly a list of chores and assorted death threats from his uncle and aunt. Harry grinned to himself. Since he was allowed to do magic, these chores could be accomplished within seconds. Harry took a look at the clock on the kitchen wall. 8:30am.

_First, I should make some breakfast for Mana. Then I'll take her out to buy her some clothes. Oh, and I should drop by the Library, it may have some books on how to teach things to babies. Mana may not look like a baby, but she sure acts like one…Nah, better not rush things. Clothes today, Library tomorrow._

Harry set two plates, two pairs of spoons and forks, and two cups on the table. Taking out his wand, he focused on the idea of bacon, made a wand movement and cried out,

"Conjurus!" Immediately, some scrambled eggs appeared on the table. Pleased at his success, Harry then conjured some bacon, a serving of rice and some orange juice. After seeing that all was well, Harry went up to his room to wake up Mana. He went up to Mana's side of the bed, and because she was under the invisibility cloak, he poked at the area where arm would be.

Harry poked at thin air. Mana was gone!

_Oh no! Where could she have gone?!_

Panicking, Harry ran around the room, with his arms spread out. He desperately tried to grab thin air, hoping that it would be Mana that he would be grabbing. But even after groping his room, Mana was not there. Harry sped out of the bedroom and ran around the house, groping everywhere in his vain hope to find Mana. The lounge room, the toilet, Dudley's game room, Vernon and Petunia's room, she wasn't there. Harry began to sweat, not out of exhaustion, but out of fear.

_If anything happened to her…_

In his fanatic blind search, Harry left the house through the back door and began to search the back yard. No dice. Harry was grabbing here and there, but could not find anything. Harry, on the verge of giving up, was about to walk back into the house when he tripped over something and landed on the ground. Harry tried to see what he tripped over, but he could not see anything apart form Petunia's prized trimmed lawn. Suddenly, Harry felt something grab his left foot. Harry wasted no time. He pulled out his wand and aimed at his foot.

"Expelliarmus!" he bellowed. Something flew away from his foot, but what caught his attention was the person holding onto his foot.

It was Mana, and she looked miserable.

Harry was at a loss. He had never seen the pretty, golden eyed girl looked so sad, even though he hadn't known her for even 24 hours. Mana, in her baggy grey shirt and black shorts, was sitting on the ground, one arm around her knees and another on Harry's leg. From the marks on her face, he could tell that she had been crying earlier. Harry's frustration from his wild goose chase vanished completely. He got onto his knees, crawled to Mana's side and began to gently stroke her silky brown hair.

"Mana, what's wrong?" he asked gently. Mana did not look at Harry; rather, she was staring at Harry's knees. it appeared that she did want to spill her problems, not that she could do it because she couldn't speak in the first place. Harry, using his wits, crawled around to Mana's back, and wrapped his arms around Mana. Mana let out a short sigh, a sign that said that Mana was feeling a little better now. Again, Harry asked his question,

"Mana, what's wrong?" Mana turned her head to face Harry. She tilted her head to the side.

"Mana." she whispered softly. Harry blinked, then he realised that whenever Mana tilted her head, it means she does not understand. Harry was about to try again when Mana looked up into the sky.

"Mana." she repeated softly. Harry followed her eyes, and understood. Mana had been looking at birds in flight.

_I see. She is no longer a bird, but she is sad that she cannot be like one. It must be terrible, to be one thing one day than become something totally different in the next. It's all my fault, first I killed off Sirius with my stupidity, and now I mutated Hed-, no, Mana with my lack of concentration. No matter now, like Barnabas told me, I should not be feeling sorry for myself, but rather, do my best to honour those I have wronged. I swore to become stronger for Sirius, and now I swear to find a way to restore Mana back to Hedwig._

Harry looked at Mana with great determination. He had never felt so…eager to do something in his life.

"Mana." he said quietly, but seriously, "I swear to you that I will make things right. I will find a way to turn you back to normal. I swear to you now." Mana tilted her head to the side, but not in her normally confused way. She almost looked like she was contemplating. Then suddenly, she did something that Harry swore only Hedwig did.

Mana leaned forward, and nibbled on Harry's finger affectionately.

Harry led Mana back to the house, almost in shock. It seemed that no matter how different Mana seemed to be from Hedwig, the Hedwig part of her still lived. He was pleased to see that his conjured breakfast was still there where he left it. Sitting Mana down (it did not take much effort this time around because Mana remembered how to sit down), Harry opted to sit next to her, so he could teach her how to use cutlery. It was a little tough first, because Mana had originally thought that the cutlery was a kind of food, and when Harry gave the spoon to her she tried to eat it enthusiastically. Needless to say, her teeth were quite sore afterwards. But it didn't take long, however, for Harry to teach her the proper ways to eat…

"Mana, you do this…" Harry demonstrated by using a knife to cut a piece of bacon in half, then using a fork to pick it up, then eating it. Mana watched in fascination as Harry did so. True, she did miss a few times and made a few dents in the plate, but she eventually managed to get it right…

"Now, watch, you eat…" Harry demonstrated to Mana how to eat from a spoon. After teaching her to pile some food onto her spoon, Harry slowly brought the spoon to his mouth, devoured the food, and put down the spoon down with a flourish. Mana followed suit. It was almost perfect, but on the first few tries she had tried eat the spoon as well…

After Harry had washed the plates and put them away, he dreaded the inevitable situation he was heading towards. Since he was going to take Mana out to buy some clothes, he had to make her presentable.

Yes, that meant **shower time.**

Harry almost died of blood loss through his nose as he took off Mana's clothes in the shower room. True, he wasn't going to shower with her, but try as he might, he couldn't help but notice Mana's supple curves; or her long, shapely legs; or her beautiful yet innocent face. Again, he remembered the things he learnt from Dudley and his tapes and the elder Gryffindor boys, in order to help with his task of showering Mana. Firstly, he showed her how to operate the shower knobs. It was little complicated because Mana had tried to eat them. And also, Mana was a little enthusiastic because she turned the hot water on to full blast while Harry was demonstrating. Needless to say, the son of James and Lily Potter had a very colourful vocabulary in reacting to this.

Secondly, once the water was running, Harry stepped out of the shower and ushered Mana into the shower. She smiled blissfully as she did so; obviously she had never experienced the sensation of water running along her body. She sighed happily as she spun around in the shower, letting all parts of her body get wet. Harry watched with both fascination and embarrassment, try as he might, he was still a male and he couldn't help **notice** some things about Mana's anatomy. After Mana had her fun, Harry set his jaw, picked up the soap and scrubber, and tapped Mana on the shoulder.

"I'm going to soap you, Mana." he said, while staring at his feet. Mana stopped playing in the shower, and turned her golden eyes onto Harry. The poor boy was beet red from embarrassment, although she didn't know that.

"Harry?" Mana inquired. "Soap?"

"Yes Mana," mumbled Harry resolutely, "Soap."

The next five minutes were probably the most embarrassing moments in Harry's life. Although many boys of his age would kill for an opportunity to scrub down a girl as beautiful as Mana, Harry had more self-control and awareness than most boys. After explaining to Mana how apply soap to the scrubber (Mana was very excited at the sight of the foam), he began the arduous task.

"Here we go, Mana."

Harry was shaking terribly as he scrubbed Mana. His face, no, his entire body, was now an intense shade of crimson. He hoped for this torture to end, but he knew that he had a responsibility to take care of Mana. The said girl didn't mind at all; in fact, she was moaning in pleasure when Harry was reaching for her most sensitive spots. The red faced Potter struggled to not get turned on by this, and the fact that he was tempted made him blush all the more.

After soaping Mana down, he let her wash herself. Meanwhile, Harry had his back turned, and one could probably see the steam rising from his body. After giving Mana a few minutes to rinse, he pulled out the shampoo and presented it to Mana.

"Mana, this is shampoo." he said in a quiet voice. To his surprise, she grabbed the shampoo and pulled it towards her mouth.

"Food?" she inquired as she eyed the would-be morsel in her hands. Harry's eyes widened, before he grabbed the bottle from her. He gestured to her head.

"No, Mana. Shampoo. SHAM-POO." he repeated. Mana gave Harry a questioning look, before she began to tap on her head.

"Shampoo?"

_Close enough, I guess…_

"Yes." replied Harry, and Mana beamed. Harry squirted some of the contents of the bottle into his hand, before applying it to Mana's medium brown hair. She purred happily as Harry worked the shampoo into her hair. Again, he was blushing from the task (and the sounds Mana was making). Once he had finished, Harry pushed Mana back into the stream of water in the shower.

"Rinse." was his simple command. Mana smiled happily as she complied with Harry's order. The boy sighed as he let the girl mess around with the water again.

_Oh God, the worst is over._ He let a few minutes pass, and then he turned off the shower. Mana, who was having the time of her life, was put off by this. She pouted as she looked at Harry.

"Harry." she whispered in an almost disappointed voice. Harry looked somewhat guilty, but he led Mana out of the shower nonetheless. After drying off Mana with a towel, he once again began the arduous task of putting on Mana's clothes. For the outing he was planning, he had chosen his 'best' out of his collection (which wasn't saying much). He presented her a pair of baggy jeans and, a plain white shirt, briefs and a singlet. To his surprise, however, Mana took the pile of clothes from Harry's hands and placed them to the side. She then put on the briefs, singlet, shirt and jeans without the slightest difficulty, although Harry did up the button and zipper on the jeans for her. Mana looked quite happy with herself.

"Harry?" she asked, as she tilted her head to the side. Harry gave her a small grin.

"You did well today, Mana." Harry wasn't sure she would understand the comment, but he could've sworn he saw a spark of recognition in Mana's golden eyes. He led Mana to the bathroom sink where he brushed her teeth. She was quite scared at first, covering her mouth so the toothbrush wouldn't get in. However, after Harry had demonstrated by brushing his own teeth, she removed her hands and let him brush her teeth. By the was she was closed her eyes lazily, Harry could tell that she enjoyed the experience.

Harry also presented a pair of sandals for Mana to wear. Luckily, she didn't try to eat it. He strapped them on to Mana, before standing back to take a look at her. Apart from her weird coloured eyes, she looked like an ordinary muggle. Harry was satisfied with his work. He led Mana to the lounge room, where he turned on the TV. He then seated Mana onto one of the chairs. Looking into her eyes, he said in a voice that commanded no reply,

"Stay." Mana blinked, but nodded. It seemed that she understood what the word 'stay' meant. Harry then gathered his own clothes, and ran off to the shower room. He emerged out of it 10 minutes later, fresh and wearing brownish-green cargo pants and a black shirt. He was looking at himself in the mirror as he brushed his unruly hair and gasped, with a shock, that he was taller than he was when he finished his fifth year. He ended the fifth year standing at a height of probably 5'7, but now, he was sure he was about 5'10 now. Combined with the fact that the Dursleys were feeding him normally (and three times a day), his history of Quidditch training over the years, the DA meetings and the frantic showdown at the Ministry of Magic, Harry now looked pretty good. He was no athlete or model, but at least now he was slim, maybe slightly skinny instead of the starved form he used to have living with the Dursleys. Beginnings of muscles were also beginning to show on his body. His perpetually ruffled hair and his bright emerald eyes also brought out an aura of good looks, like how the young Sirius (in Snape's Pensieve) as he lounged around in the O.W.L exams. At the thought of his godfather, he no longer felt sorry for himself, but rather felt good that he was beginning to mimic him, in looks at least.

_How the hell did I grow three inches in 10 days? No matter, I can't complain. At least I'm not a runt anymore. Maybe I can use this to my advantage. Dudley's training equipment hasn't been thrown away yet. I can train to improve my body, as well as my magic. YEAH! Sirius, I'm going to make you proud of me. Oh, I suppose I can't forget Mana. We'll be both learning, I guess…_

Harry left the bathroom in high spirits; upon entering the lounge room, he found Mana's eyes glued onto the TV screen. She was totally entranced by the program on, a ridiculous muggle show called 'Jackass,' where muggles would purposely do crazy stunts, often resulting in pain, humiliation and a big laugh from the audience. Mana was laughing at a particular stunt where a person jumped into a speeding shopping trolley and crashed it into a kerb, causing him to spill out of the trolley. Harry himself chuckled at this, before he turned off the TV. Mana was not pleased. She whipped her head around and stared accusingly at Harry.

"Harry!" she cried in frustration. Harry's gaze held no remorse as he put down the remote. He strode over to Mana and picked her up from the chair, although she was somewhat resistant. Looking into her eyes, he pointed to the front door.

"We're going out, Mana. I'm going to buy you clothes." Mana tilted her head again, not understanding what Harry just said. Harry sighed as he pulled Mana to the door. He opened it, put on his sneakers and locked up the door. He then tucked the money uncle Vernon gave him into his pocket, making sure it was secure. After making sure all was well, he began to walk with Mana.

Harry planned to go to Vauxhall Road Mall, a major shopping centre near the heart of London. To get there from Pivett Drive, he had to catch a bus. So as they walked to the bus station, Harry pointed out all the things around them and named them. Mana was absorbing the information quite well; well, at least she didn't think 'house' or 'trash can' were foods, anyway.

_Wow…I'm surprised the Order kept their word. I was thinking that maybe Professor DUMBleDOPE would have convinced them to trail me, but I guess that man has some concern for me, after all. God, why do I feel so angry when I think of Dumbledore? It was for my own good…but I still can't help feel angry. Being sent to live with the Dursleys, keeping the prophecy away from me, turning his back on me last term, keeping me in the dark, making me take occlumency with Snape without a reason…yeah, my anger is justified…_

Harry snapped out of his train of thought as he reached the bus stop. Mana was looking quite apprehensive of Harry, and Harry realised she had reason to, because a fierce scowl was on his face. Noticing Mana's expression, he immediately cleared it up. The two of them boarded a bus en route to Vauxhall Road, paid for their fare, and took a seat. Harry gave Mana the window seat. He sat down comfortably while Mana was staring at her surroundings. After a few minutes, the bus lurched forward.

"AIIEEE!!!" shrieked Mana. She grabbed onto Harry's shoulder and buried her face into it. Obviously, she was scared. He wrapped his arms around Mana and spoke to her softly, reassuring her. He didn't know if she would understand, but he had to try.

"There, there, Mana," he said soothingly, "don't be afraid. I'm here, you'll be safe." Surprisingly, Mana looked somewhat relieved at the words. She nodded hesitantly, and turned to look out the window. Harry was about to relax, when some giggles reached his ears. Harry turned around, and found the source from some girls sitting at the back of the bus. He lowered his head and blushed at the words he heard from the giggles.

"…oh, he looks so cute, I love his eyes…"

"He's so sweet; I wish he was my boyfriend…"

Harry wanted to shrivel up and die.

Finally, the bus reached Vauxhall Road mall. He led Mana out, looking very red-faced. She seemed awed at the sight of the mall. She was spinning on the spot, trying to take in all the sights. Harry consulted the map on one of the walls, as Mana was staring at her surroundings.

_Hmm…where can I go? Let me see…my first stop will be K-Mart, and if I can't find anything, Myer will do. Myer's quite an expensive though, so that'll be my last resort. I have 300 pounds…hopefully a full wardrobe for Mana won't cost that much…_

"C'mon Mana, we're off to K-Mart."

Harry reached K-Mart with very little difficulty, considering that the owl-turned-girl latched onto his hand was totally awed by the mall. Harry pointed out the names of shops, types of people, and other objects during the walk. As they reached K-Mart, he took Mana to the clothes department. Unlike wizarding shops, muggle clothes shops didn't measure their customers. Rather, clothes were arranged into standard sizes. Harry knew that the shirt and pants that Mana wore were size 30, so he picked out clothes of that size. He had some fun, presenting Mana clothes and watching her expression…

"You like this Mana?" Harry picked up a bright blue shirt with a pink heart on it. Mana nodded enthusiastically as she grabbed the shirt and tried to eat it…

"How about this?" Harry pulled out a pair of grey jogging pants. Mana pouted as she swatted the pants out Harry's hands. She growled, and Harry made a mental note that Mana hated the colour grey. In the end, Harry had four shirts, two long sleeve shirts, three pairs of jeans, three pairs of shorts, three pairs of socks, two dressing gowns and a jacket in his hands.

Harry also picked out a pair of shoes for Mana. After measuring her feet (Mana was quite fiddly, but Harry managed to get her feet size), he picked out a pair of shoes that Mana liked (a plain white pair of joggers with blue designs on it).

_Ok…now time for the underwear…breathe, Harry. I can do this…_

Harry approached the women's underwear section, but was surprised to see that much of it was empty. The only stock left belonged to adults that Mana couldn't possible wear. Well, at least he put off the inevitable, even for a little while.

_Oh boy…that can wait; I gotta pay for this lot first…_

Harry approached the front counter, his hands full of clothes. In order to direct Mana, he had to nudge her in the right directions. He paid for his purchases, which came to a total of 100 pounds. The assistant stashed the items into three bags, which Harry carried with one hand. It was difficult, but at least he could hold onto Mana now. He left the store and headed to the posh department store, Myer. Again, he took a few deep breaths before he ventured into the underwear section. To his surprise, he recognised some of aunt Petunia's friends in the area. Harry bolted out of the store as quick as he could.

_Whew…what if they saw me in the underwear section with a girl…they'll probably flip out, and rat on me to aunt Petunia. Man, I gotta find a store soon…_

"Harry?" asked Mana tentatively. Some of Harry's anxiety must've shown on his face. He set his jaw as he spoke to Mana.

"Mana, I swear that the next shop I find that sells underwear, I'll go in and buy your stuff. I'm not going to chicken out anymore!" he said determinedly. Mana blinked her eyes, and shrugged.

Harry would rue his words. He did indeed find a store that sold women's underwear.

Victoria's Secret.

_My God…do they sell underwear or lingerie?! It's so…pink! And purple! And all those other erotic colours! This is the raunchiest store I've ever seen!!!"_

Harry's body temperature skyrocketed as he took a good look at the store. With trembling hands, he led Mana into the store, who followed with an oblivious smile on her face. Every person in the store was female, and they all turned to look at Harry. Blushing like there was no tomorrow, he stalked over to the counter and mumbled his request to the assistant, a girl probably a few years older than him.

"Hmm? What was that, sir?" the assistant inquired. Harry sighed.

"Err…I need a complete set of underwear." Harry pointed at Mana

"For her? Or for…**you**?" asked the assistant playfully. Harry flushed.

"Her, of course!" he stuttered. He frantically gestured to the clueless Mana, who blinked her eyes innocently.

"Is that…**so**?" replied the assistant seductively. Harry looked like he was about to faint.

"Don't worry about it, sir." the assistant said happily, "Just sit down and let us do the rest." She was about to lead Mana away, but Harry stopped her.

"Umm…my friend Mana, she's…err…she's just come out of an accident. She can't speak very well, and she's kinda, well, mentally incapacitated. You might have to resort to simple words, so she can understand." stated Harry. The assistant looked surprised at first, but her shock turned into a warm smile. She led Mana away, muttering something along the lines of 'all the cute and nice ones are always either taken or gay.' Harry strode over to the chairs provided by Victoria's secret, where he sat down to catch his breath (and cool off).

"Potter?" asked a girl's voice

Harry's inside lurched. No muggle knew him, so it must be a magical person. He turned around to face whoever it might be…

"Zabini?!" he asked incredulously. The girl nodded.

"In the flesh, Potter." Harry took a good look at Blaise Zabini. She was a Slytherin student, his year. Unlike other Slytherins, she was pretty quiet; she didn't really play an active role in the Gryffindor versus Slytherin conflicts at Hogwarts. She was about his (old) height of 5'7, maybe 5'6. She had a heart shaped face coloured in the same pale tone as Malfoy's (but that connection brought up many disturbing images), long, silky black hair that reached the small of her back and shimmering, bright blue eyes. Although Harry had never talked to her, he knew that she was shy and often had a neutral expression on her face. Right now, however, her face showed curiosity and suppressed mirth.

"What are you doing here, Zabini?!" exclaimed Harry. Blaise gave him an almost secretive look.

"The question is, Potter, what are **you** doing here? In a muggle lingerie shop?" Well?" she asked coyly. Harry stuttered and muttered something along the lines of 'mimblewimble' under his breath. Blaise laughed, and Harry once again felt that he was hearing silver rain, like when Mana laughed.

"No need to get a heart attack, Potter, I saw what happened. And I must say, that was very kind of you, to take care of that incapacitated girl." Blaise's eyes showed respect. Harry relaxed somewhat.

"Oh, ok. But what are you doing here, Zabini? I mean, I thought purebloods wouldn't be caught dead in muggle store, and I'm pretty sure the Zabini family is quite a powerful, if not ancient, pureblood family." Blaise's nostrils flared somewhat at the mention of pureblood, but she composed herself,

"Well, that would be true, Potter, if you were talking to Malfoy or Parkinson," she said in a somewhat heated voice, "but just because I'm a pureblood and in Slytherin doesn't mean I go around in masks torturing muggles." Harry was about to protest when she cut him off.

"I'm not finished, Potter. Our family has never persecuted muggles." she whispered, making sure she catch anyone's attention, "In fact, our family is known for trying harmonise relations between magical folk and muggles. The other families don't mess with us because we are quite powerful and have connections." Blaise let the information sink into Harry.

"Oh…sorry, Zabini. I just get a little touchy when I'm around a Slytherin, you know what Malfoy and Snape is like, right?" Blaise nodded.

"So, what's your story, Potter? How's your holidays?"

Harry told Blaise of the story of how he was emancipated, how he made plans, how he fudged up his potion and how Hedwig became Mana. Needless to say, Blaise was impressed.

"Wow, Potter…I must say, that's quite a responsibility you've put on yourself. But let me ask you this, Potter: How do you keep her clean, and how do you deal with her when nature calls?" she asked.

"Umm, err, I mean…uhh…" Harry couldn't form coherent speech. Blaise smiled.

"You worry too much, Potter. I know you're a good guy, and that you would never do such things. I'm impressed, any other guy would've probably taken advantage of Mana by now, but you take care of her like she was your sister. You are truly something else, Potter." she said admiringly. Harry grinned tightly; his face was still red.

_Wait…Zabini is a girl. Mana is a girl. That means…_

"Umm…Zabini? Could you do me a favour for me?" Harry asked tentatively. Blaise nodded for Harry to continue.

"Could you…could you teach Mana the, uhh, things a girl **needs to know** at my house?" Blaise certainly looked surprised at this request, but nodded nonetheless.

"Sure, Potter." I'll come with you to your house. My parents will be able to track me down, so it's ok." Harry sighed in relief.

"Thanks."

At this point, the Victoria's Secret assistant returned with Mana, who had a healthy blush on her face. Harry's eyes bulged out at the sight of what Mana was holding.

Lacy pink bras. Silky purple panties. Harry had never seen such suggestive undergarments in his life.

_Please God, let me die now…_

The assistant saw Harry and beckoned him to the counter. Harry complied. She checked out the items, which came to a grand total of 80 pounds. Harry doled out the money (at the same time mentally complaining about the price) while another assistant packed the garments into bright pink plastic bags with the Victoria's Secret Label clear on it. He turned to Blaise as he picked up the bag and his previous bags.

"What now?" Blaise furrowed her eyebrows.

"Let's eat, Potter."

Harry now had both arms full as he trudged along with Mana's clothes. Luckily for him, Blaise was leading Mana along, so there was no need for Harry to nudge Mana in the right direction. They left Victoria's Secret, exited Vauxhall Road Mall and travelled to a nearby, where Blaise assured Harry that there was an open air café that served the finest sandwiches in the world. Taking a table, Harry ordered some food and drink for all three of them. While waiting for their food, Harry and Blaise began to talk.

"Hey, Zabini, I'm paying for this." To Harry's surprise, she blushed and began to stutter.

"Err…well, if you insist, Potter." she replied shyly. Harry grinned inwardly.

_Potter and Zabini tied on one point each_

"Why are you so shy, Zabini?" Harry curiously before he could stop himself. Blaise's crimson face flushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Uhh…this is my first time I've ever hung out with a boy by myself." she whispered. Harry nodded knowingly. He knew the feeling, bitterly remembering his disastrous date with Cho on Valentine's Day.

"Don't give yourself a heart attack, Zabini, it's all good. I won't bite."

"If you say so, Potter." Blaise twiddled with her thumbs and spoke no more. Mana, who had been quiet the whole time, kept changing her glances from Harry to Blaise. She said nothing, although she felt pretty happy with Blaise around.

Once their food arrived, Harry and Blaise tucked into their food. Well, they showed Mana how to eat a sandwich and to drink from a straw. Harry noted with some envy that Blaise managed to teach Mana in such a way that Mana didn't make any mistakes while eating.

_Damn, Blaise would've done well in the DA…but misconception of her being a typical Slytherin stopped me from recruiting her, or any other Slytherin._

They talked pleasurably throughout the meal; subjects like potential careers, what they expected from their O.W.Ls, and ways to teach Mana how to be a normal person. It was quite a pleasant conversation, Harry thought, from a person who supposedly part of the enemy. But the conversation went one better when someone interrupted.

"'ello there, 'Arry and Blais'!" Harry, Blaise and Mana turned to look at the voice.

"Hagrid!"

"Professor Hagrid!"

The half giant, dressed in some obviously modified muggle attire, was standing over the group of three. Several of the nearby muggles looked at Hagrid with some curiosity, but his large size must've scared off any questions. Since there was no seat big enough to house Hagrid, he kept standing.

"Wha' in the ruddy 'ell are you doing here, 'Arry?" he exclaimed. Harry sighed, and told him a summarised version of his plans, and Mana. Hagrid cast a critical eye over Mana, and nodded when Harry introduced her.

"Well 'Arry, I gotta say tha' you've put th' entire, err, group of friends in'a mess. Professor Lupin read yer lett'r you gave him, and everyone got real upset over it, tha' they did. No is gonna wri'e to you because you tol' 'em to back off." Harry looked somewhat ashamed at this.

"Well Hagrid, I guess you can tell them that they can write to me now. But as you know, without Hedwig, I can't send any owls to them unless Pig or Errol stay behind for me to write." Hagrid looked thoughtful at this,

"In tha' case 'en, I'll tell 'em tha'. I'll give 'em instructions to let their owls wait for yer response. But I suppos' ye can't tell 'em about yer plans, or Hedwig and Mana, eh?" Harry nodded.

"Tell them that I released Hedwig because she found a mate." Hagrid nodded.

"Will do. Is ther' 'nything you wan' to ask me?" he inquired. Harry hesitated.

_Hmm…no, I guess. Unless he can tell me how to teach Mana how to read. Read? Why does that ring a bell? I know! Grawp!_

"Hagrid, there is something I'd like to ask you. How did you teach Grawp how to read and write? Because I'd like to do the same with Mana here." Harry gestured to Mana. Unless his eyes were fooling him, Hagrid's eyes were looking shifty.

"Er…well, I didn' **teach** Grawpy, if ye put i' that way, 'Arry. I kinda…well, used a Literati potion, tha' I did." Harry looked interested.

"What a Literati potion?"

"It's a potion tha' transfers readin' and writin' ability from one person to 'nother. I guess it didn' work on Grawpy to well 'cause he's, ye know, he's fu' blood giant and I'm only half." Harry stood up on his seat.

"How do I get my hands on this Literati potion, Hagrid?" he asked desperately. Hagrid reached into his giant coat, fiddled around with it a bit, and drew a flask with bright orange liquid.

"I've go' some leftov'r potion, ye can have it 'Arry. Since you've got yer grubby hands on Moste Potente Potions, there shoul' be a part tha' talks abou the Literati, tha' it should." Harry beamed as he pocket the flask.

"Thanks a lot, Hagrid!" Hagrid grinned.

"No worries, 'Arry." Blaise chose this time to speak.

"Professor Hagrid, could I ask you what will be featured in N.E.W.T Care of Magical Creatures?" she asked earnestly. Hagrid chuckled.

"I kne' ye were gonna as' tha' question, Blais'. Well' O.W.L Care o' Magical Creatures was supposed to be a warm up to N.E.W.T lev'l. I can' say much, but I can say tha' phoenixes will be the firs' subject we study." Blaise's eyes glowed with anticipation.

"I can't wait, Professor!" Hagrid laughed.

"No nee' to be so formal with me, Blais'. Just 'Hagrid' will do." Harry turned to Hagrid to ask him a question, but Hagrid cut him off.

"Ye wanna know wha' I'm doin' here, eh?" Harry nodded.

"Well, I'm just here to buy summat muggle 'fertiliz'r ' for th' school grounds. No specia' missions this time." Harry relaxed; at least he knew that his giant friend wasn't going to be alone in giant territory with Madam Maxime. Hagrid exchanged goodbyes with the three, giving Mana a special pat on the back which buckled the seat she was sitting on, but she smiled nonetheless. Oblivious to the stares around him, Hagrid went on his way, whistling to himself. Blaise turned to Harry.

"What did he mean by 'special missions?' And 'group of friends?' You don't need to be a Slytherin to pick up the secrecy behind those two terms." Harry looked uncomfortable

"I'm sorry, **Blaise**, but I'm not in any position to reveal that stuff. Nothing on you, I trust you, but people also trust me." said Harry. Blaise nodded.

"Well, I can understand, **Harry**." The two exchanged smiles. They knew, by using their first names to address each other, that they were friends.

After finishing and paying for their meal, Harry, Blaise and Mana caught a bus back to Surrey, where Harry escorted the two ladies back to his house. Upon entering back into 4 Pivett Drive, Blaise cast a critical eye over the Dursley residence while Harry set down his bags; apparently she was deep in thought.

"Well Harry." she said slowly, "From what the Slytherins tell me, you're some spoiled brat that lives in a mansion and is doted on by your relatives. But from what I see, this seems like a perfectly normal residence. I guess that many of claims about you are mistaken." Harry's eyes grew sorrowful for a moment.

_If you only knew, Blaise, of what my life is really like…_

Harry took Mana and Blaise for the tour of the house. She was quite interested in muggle inventions, and seeing that the Dursleys had a state-of-the-art kitchen, lounge and entertainment system, she looked like a child in a candy store.

"Wow!" she squealed enthusiastically when Harry pointed out a black box near the massive Plasma TV, "Is that a PlayStation 2?" Woah! I heard that they're one of the most popular forms of muggle entertainment! Is it true that this…this machine can enable a muggle to explore different worlds?" Harry looked thoughtful,

"In a way, yes. Moving on…"

Harry was quite embarrassed when they reached his tiny bedroom. Blaise looked quite shocked. The Boy-Who-Lived slept in room that was slightly bigger than her walk in wardrobe at home! She was even more appalled when she saw the sizes of Harry's relatives' room and their furnishings; Harry's room contained nothing more than a bed, wardrobe and his school trunk. She was about to ask Harry about the state of his home-life, but his cold look silenced her. She wandered back down to the lower storey of the house with Harry and Mana in a daze; if she didn't know better, than she would have thought that Harry was a neglected child. She didn't say anything, however, until Harry got her attention back in the kitchen.

"Hey, Blaise! Snap out of it!" She blinked.

"Hmm?" Harry looked amused.

"You've been spacing out for the last couple of minutes." he said good-naturedly. Blaise looked almost embarrassed.

"Uhh…just wondering about the marvels of muggle culture, Harry, don't mind me." Harry nodded.

"Well, you can have the kitchen and bathroom to teach Mana stuff. I'll be in my room, reading, if you need me or if you want to go home." Blaise nodded faintly.

"Sure Harry…" she said dreamily. With that, she took Mana's hand and led her towards the bathroom, and used the other hand to pick up one of Harry's Victoria's Secret purchases. After seeing them off, Harry went up to his room, opened his book on transfiguration, and began to read…

Three hours later, Harry was immersed in the secrets of 'transmogrification' in his book when Blaise's voiced echoed through the house.

"Harry? Harry! Where are you?" Harry dropped his book.

"Coming Blaise!" He sprinted down the stairs and ran into Blaise and Mana, who was dressed in the clothes Harry had bought for her. Blaise gave Harry the thumbs up.

"She's a fast learner, Harry. I think she can name all of her clothes, and put them on without difficulty. Heck, I even taught her how to recognise some colours and basic human actions. I put the dirty clothes in your laundry" She said proudly. Harry nodded appreciatively.

"I really want to thank you for this, Blaise. You've been a great help." Blaise shrugged off Harry's thanks.

"No problem, Harry. But I have to go home now; my parents were due to pick me up at 4:00."

"Where? Do you want me to walk you there?" asked Harry in a gentlemanly manner. Blaise shook her head.

"No, its ok, my parents can track me down. I'll just wait in front of your house." she said.

"Then I'll see you off." With that, Harry walked with Blaise and Mana to the front door, Upon opening it, he caught site of a man and woman standing across the street, looking at the Dursley Home. Blaise began to walk towards her parents, but she turned to Harry halfway.

"Harry? Do you mind if I come around tomorrow at one?" she asked shyly, "I…I kind of like Mana. She's becoming a lot like a sister, and I'd really want to play a role in her development." Harry grinned.

"I'd really like that, and you're welcome here anytime, Blaise. See you later!" he waved.

"Bye Harry!"

Harry watched Blaise meet up with her parents, saw them board a car, and sped off with Knight Bus-like speed.

The rest of the day was quite peaceful. Harry, true to the orders of uncle Vernon, had mowed the lawn, pulled out the weeds in the garden, swept and mopped the floors and wiped the walls. With magic, of course, and while no muggle was around. During his errands, he had Mana next to him, who was watching intently. He told her of the tasks he was doing (with simple words), and she seemed to absorb the information. Harry was truly thankful for Blaise's help.

Dinner was normal. Harry conjured two delicious steak meals and cola for him and Mana to eat and drink. He watched, with some satisfaction, that Mana was using her cutlery perfectly, and was eating without choking. She seemed to love the cola; when she finished her cup, she looked at Harry's half-filled cup longingly. Harry laughed at this, and re-filled Mana's cup, much to her delight.

After washing dinner, Harry led Mana to the lounge room, where he turned on the TV. Lo and behold, Jackass was on and it had just started a 2 hour marathon. Mana snuggled onto the sofa with her eyes glued on to the TV screen, while Harry went up to his room to continue his studies.

He was in the middle of chapter 16 of his transfiguration book when a tapping sound on his bedroom window. Opening it, he was surprised to see no less than 3 owls barge into his room, Pig and Errol among them. Harry acquired three letters from Pig, two from Errol and one from the other owl. While the other owl flew away, Pig and Errol waited patiently for Harry to write a response to their letters. He skimmed over the letters; one from Ron, Hermione Ginny, the Twins, Lupin and Percy and one official looking letter. He gasped as he opened it.

His O.W.L results had arrived.

Single asterix: I amusing shops known here in Australia, I apologise for this but I don't know anything about England.

Double asterix: I am using Australia standards of clothes measurement. Again, I apologise for my lack of fashion knowledge.

Triple asterix: Although J.K Rowling has stated that Blaise Zabini is a boy, in my fic Blaise is a girl. I think that because the only two girls that are mentioned in the book that are in Slytherin are Pansy Parkinson and Millicent Bulstrode. Thus, I wanted to bump their numbers up with Blaise.

AN: I'd like to thank the reviewers for their nice reviews, but if there's even the slightest mistake in my fic, please feel free to let me know. In the next chapter, we see Harry training, Mana learning and Blaise becoming a closer friend to Harry. Bear in mind, Mana will not automatically be smart in the next chapter. Put it this way: by September the 1st, Mana will struggle to string a sentence together.


	4. Letters and Animagus

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its associated trademarks are the property of J.K Rowling. The plot and original characters in this fiction are my own. This fictional work is written for recreational purposes only. No copyright is intended.

Harry's hands were shaking. The official Hogwarts letter in his right hand was starting to dampen from the sweat in his hands. He knew that the results would determine his future. With a shaky breath, he opened the letter and read it:

**To Mr. Harry James Potter,**

**Enclosed are your following Ordinary Wizarding Levels. Please read them carefully, and plan your sixth and seventh year subjects accordingly. Also enclosed in this letter is a subject selection sheet. If your OWL qualification matches or exceeds the requirement for the subject, you may take that class.**

**Your OWLS are shown in this format: First, the written exam score (out of 100), second the practical exam score (if applicable, also out of 100). Finally, you are given the overall grade and the OWLs received.**

**(T)errible: 0-20**

**(D)readful: 21-35**

**(P)oor: 36-49**

**(A)cceptable: 50-70**

**(E)xceeds (E)xpectations: 71-84**

**(O)utstanding: 85-100**

**(S)ensational: Awarded when student performs at a level far beyond his or her peers**

**Terrible, Dreadful, Poor: 0 OWLs**

**Acceptable: 0.5 OWLs (rounded up on OWL totals)**

**Exceeds Expectations: 1 OWL**

**Outstanding: 2 OWLs**

**Sensational: 3 OWLs**

**History of Magic**

**Exam: 51**

**Grade: Acceptable (0.5 OWLs)**

**Astronomy**

**Exam: 73**

**Practical: 64 (note 1)**

**Grade: Acceptable (0.5 OWLs)**

**Divination**

**Exam: 61**

**Practical: 98**

**Grade: Exceeds Expectations (1 OWL)**

**Herbology**

**Exam: 81**

**Practical: 87**

**Grade: Exceeds Expectations (1 OWL)**

**Care of Magical Creatures**

**Exam: 84**

**Practical: 89**

**Grade: Outstanding (2 OWLs)**

**Charms**

**Exam: 90**

**Practical: 92**

**Grade: Outstanding (2 OWLs)**

**Transfiguration**

**Exam: 88**

**Practical: 86**

**Grade: Outstanding (2 OWLs)**

**Potions**

**Exam: 87**

**Practical: 95**

**Grade: Outstanding (2 OWLs)**

**Defence against the Dark Arts**

**Theory: 155 (note 2)**

**Practical: 186 (note 3)**

**Grade: Sensational (3 OWLs)**

**Total OWLs: out of a possible 18 OWLs, you achieved 14**

**Note 1: Due to the unfortunate disturbance during this practical, all scores were boosted**

**Note 2: Student displayed an incredible knowledge of Defence against the Dark Arts, which easily surpasses knowledge expected from graduate seventh years**

**Note 3: Extra credit given due to perfect execution of magic, including a corporeal Patronus Charm.**

**Congratulations Mr Potter, your OWL score was second highest in the year. We are also proud to award you the first Sensational grade in more than 50 years. In the history of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, very few people have ever achieved this grade. In the last two centuries, the only other Sensational grades awarded were to Albus Dumbledore (for Transfiguration and Charms) and Tom Riddle (for Potions and Ancient Runes). You will be receiving a special award and trophy upon your return to school. Please submit your subject selections no later than July the 20th.**

**Yours sincerely,**

**Griselda Marchbanks**

_**Head of the Examination Office**_

Harry could hardly believe his eyes. How the heck did he get so many OWLs? He even beat Percy, who was supposed to be the smartest of the Weasleys! An Outstanding in Potions? And second in the year! How many Gods did he please for him to pull off a result like this? For an eternity Harry was frozen in his spot, afraid that if he moved his OWL scores would vanish. Then, when he realised this wasn't a trick, he acted.

"OOHHHH YEAH!" shouted Harry, pumping his fist in the air. He danced around his tiny bedroom, chanting victory songs as the top of his voice.

Meanwhile, downstairs, Mana was lounging around, watching a muggle eat something and vomit it out again on her beloved TV show, Jackass. Although she didn't understand much, she found it quite amusing when the people in the show got hurt or humiliated. She was laughing at the current gag when a crazed Harry Potter came dancing down the stairs with his letter in his hand. He waltzed over to Mana's side and, to her annoyance, whisked her off her feet and began to dance.

"Look, Mana, look! My scores! I passed with flying colours!" Harry sang hysterically as he tangoed with Mana around the room. Mana pouted angrily. How dare Harry pull her away from her fun!

"Harry!" shrieked Mana, looking very annoyed. Harry stopped to see the frustrated owl-turned-girl glaring at him with a stare that would have put a basilisk to shame. He stopped his tirade and apologised.

"Err…sorry, Mana." He started to inch away, but there was no way Mana was going to let him off the hook.

"Harry!" screeched Mana again, "Jackass!" Mana stamped her foot angrily. Harry looked taken aback. Maybe Blaise had trained her **too** well…

Like a woman scorned, Mana dished out some appropriate punishment for the green eyed boy. She cuffed him with her wing.

Well, she would have, if she were still an owl. However, Mana was now human, with a human's strength and mass. So what intended to be a frustrated wing cuffing turned out to be one hell of a clothesline which knocked Harry to the ground, sprawling. Mana looked down on him, triumphant. Harry looked dazed for a moment, before he picked himself up. Although he was a bit hurt, he could understand Mana's feelings. After all, he was pretty pissed off when he was banned from Quidditch last year.

"I'm sorry, Mana. I won't disturb you again like that." Mana blinked her golden eyes in confusion, then shrugged and sat back down on the coach, immersed into the demented world of Jackass again. Harry couldn't help but chuckle silently as he went back to his tiny room to read the rest of his letters. Randomly choosing a letter, he happened to pick up the one by Ron first. It read:

_Dear Harry,_

_How are you, mate? Mum was in a right state on platform Nine and Three Quarters, when Lupin read out your letter. Seriously, I didn't know you felt like that. And I'm also sorry about Sirius. Yeah, I know you don't want our pity, but I want to say that it's not your fault. Even though he was your godfather, I looked up at Sirius as a kind of uncle, someone who'd watch our backs. I was sad when he died, too._

_Well, I don't want to depress you anymore, so I'll move on. I got my OWL scores today! I got A for Divination and Astronomy, I got EE for Herbology, History of Magic, Potions, Transfiguration and Charms and I got O for Defence against the Dark Arts and Care of Magical Creatures. 10 OWLs! And something else: I got a special award for Care of Magical Creatures! Since I was one of the last to be tested, I was asked to put away some of the creatures by Professor Tiberius Ogden. I got saddled up with those freaking Blast Ended Skrewts! They started to fight (there were four), and if they killed each other I would've probably been in a lot of trouble. So what I did was, in pure desperation, I cut up four pieces of raw beef into equal pieces and threw that at the skrewts at the same time. They stopped fighting, ate their share, and acted like puppies the rest of the way! Ogden was sure as hell pleased. He said that I had discovered the method to domesticating Blast Ended Skrewts! (Like anyone would want to). See, Skrewts are very jealous creatures, which is why they like to attack and kill each other with their excess energy. But because I gave them all a piece of meat, of the same size and quality and at the same time, it stopped their jealously and calmed them down. They're like heavily armoured guard dogs now! Ogden said he would report his findings to the Magical Creatures department in the Ministry and that I would get credit for it! I'm going to get an award at school and a patent in my name! Dad was so proud and Mum looked like she was going to cry. I wonder what you got, mate? I know you probably kicked butt in DADA, but tell me your results when you're ready to, since I know you need the time off._

_By the way, Dumbledore said that you can come and stay with the rest of us at you-know-where **(he must mean 12 Grimmauld Place, Harry thought)** 2 weeks before term starts. We'll pick you up on the 17th of August, whether those muggles like it or not._

_Your best friend,_

_Ron_

Harry grinned at the letter. He had initially thought that Ron might have gotten poor results in the OWLs as he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. But he got respectable results, and for once, something to be proud of. For a long time Ron had been overshadowed by his older brothers, but now he too could boast that he was Gryffindor's hotshot new Keeper, he fought off Death Eaters and was a Blast Ended Skrewt extraordinaire. Harry knew now that Ron would no longer be jealous of his fame and achievements, because Ron now had things of his own to boast about.. Harry resigned to tell the others his amazing OWL results when he met them (just for the suspense, he thought). He then picked up the next letter, which was from Remus Lupin.

_Dear Prongs Jr,_

_I am pleased that you are communicating with us again. Good Lord, we were worried when Hedwig didn't turn up for your usual letters, but good thing Hagrid told us that she had found a mate. I know it must be hard, letting her go, but you did it for the best** (Harry couldn't help but laugh at this, yes, Hedwig was indeed gone. In her place was a golden eyed girl who loved seeing muggles shame themselves on TV)**. It must be hard, with Sirius gone as well, but I can only hope that you can still talk to me as the unofficial godfather you wanted me to be._

_As Ron would have told you, you are staying at you-know-where on the 17th. Me, Tonks and Moody will be the ones to pick you up, at approximately 9:00 in the morning. I am hoping that there will be a smile on your face when that day comes. We all miss him, Harry, but we will all get through this, I promise. Unfortunately, I will not be able to meet you at you-know-where. I have some 'tasks' to do, but I will get back to you as soon as possible._

_Remus_

_PS: Dumbledore was quite miffed when Hagrid told him that you were at Vauxhall Road, but he also said that he would no longer deny you of freedom, as long as you are responsible enough to look after yourself._

Harry smiled fondly at the letter. Remus, Hagrid, the Weasleys and Hermione were probably the only people who could see him more than as a weapon or the Boy-Who-Lived. He felt an upsurge of affection for them, and prayed to whatever God was listening to keep them safe and well, especially Remus. Harry, to his shock, almost hissed at seeing Dumbledore's name, but composed himself. After all, even though he did betray Harry's trust, Harry **used** to look up to him as the grandfather he never had. Picking up another letter, he saw it as Hermione and Ginny's.

_Dear Harry, **(the writing was small and neat, so it must be Hermione, Harry thought)**_

_I hope I find you well. I know that the last weeks of term were chaotic because of, you know, and I know his loss would have hurt you more than what any other person would of felt if they lost a relative. But I want you to know that we'll always be by your side, no matter what. We stood by you at the Department of Ministries, and we'd do it again if we have to. I got my OWLs results – 17 OWLs! I got Outstanding for each subject except for Astronomy, ooh that was so unfair; I got an 'Exceeds Expectations'. If it wasn't for those Aurors picking on Hagrid and McGonagall…never mind. I got top of the year, and I know that you would have gotten good marks as well. What did you get? Please tell us when you get the chance._

_Oh, and I suppose Ron has failed to mention a little something in his letter (if you've read it already). You see, when Mrs Weasley told Ron to write a letter to you, he was already writing a letter to someone else. One Eloise Midgen, a year below us and in Hufflepuff. His girlfriend! **(Harry's eyebrows shot upwards at this)** Yes, they got together at around the same time you and Cho broke up. It seems that she discovered the wonders of Bubotuber pus and cured her acne. Well, poor old Ronniekins was gobsmacked when he saw her, and asked her out. Funnily enough, they have the same interests: they both like chess and support the Chudley Cannons. Ron would have told you, but because of your break-up with Cho, he though he would be insulting you. Oh, and Harry, I know you are smarter than most boys and you are probably now asking, 'But I thought Ron fancied you?' Yes, good question, but it seems that Ron is more protective of us than we thought. He sees me as a sister, and thus is very protective to me, more so than with Ginny because we've been through so much. I see him as the older brother of our trio, mainly because he's the biggest and most protective/stubborn. That's why he was so mad with Viktor; he doesn't want his 'sister' to be taken away. Poor Ron, he's so misunderstood sometimes. Well, I hope you're feeling better, and that if you need anything, just ask._

_Love,_

_Hermione._

_PS: Ron's been looking quite smug with his OWL results. What's the deal with that? I did better than him…_

_Dear Harry, **(The writing was slightly larger and loopy, so it must be from Ginny)**_

_You insensitive prat! How could you just tell us to bugger off just like that? I know that Sirius meant a lot to you, but he also meant a lot to us as well! Don't you think Lupin or Tonks would've been hurt as well! And you just good as told them to 'don't talk to me'? How could you! Like Dumbledore said, we're only as strong as we are united. So stop feeling sorry for yourself Harry Potter, and realise that you still have people who care for you no matter what!_

_Ahh, now I feel much better. Look Harry, I know that things have been so hard for you, but shutting us out won't help. We want to help, in whatever way we can. **(Harry grinned guiltily at this; he was only shutting them away so he could train in secret)** Well, I guess that's my rant over. Did you hear? Ron's got a girlfriend! Eloise Midgen! Heh, I'm so going to blackmail him. You should hear the things he mumbles at night. Oh, and I can't wait to hear your OWL scores._

_Sincerely,_

_Ginny_

_PS: Dean says hello. He wants to thank you, he says that the DA was the reason he got Outstanding in his DADA and Charms OWLs._

Harry smiled after reading the double letter. The two females he cared most for in the world still cared for him, even though he led them into a suicide run at the Ministry of Magic. He laughed at the revelation of Ron having a girlfriend; he just hoped that Ron's nightly moans of 'Quidditch' and 'chess' wouldn't change drastically for the sake of his sanity. He was also quite proud of Hermione's results, not that he didn't see it coming. For Ginny, on the other hand, he was glad she had only written to him, and did not meet him face to face, otherwise he would've been in a lot of trouble right now.

_Wildcat, she is,_ thought Harry, _I feel sorry for Dean, the poor guy must be whipped_

Picking up one of the two remaining letters, he got the one sent by Fred and George.

_To Mr Harry James Potter,_

_We are pleased to inform you, valued investor, that a significant percentage of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes stocks have been placed under your name. We take this opportunity to inform you that you are now own 25 of WWW, Inc, and that you have been given a place on the board of directors. You are hereby appointed honorary Vice President of WWW, Inc. You will be paid 10 of the profits of WWW, Inc, quarterly. This arrangement has been made by Gringotts already, and is thus unquestionable. We hope that you continuing placing your valuable interest in our company._

_Yours truly,_

_Gred and Forge Weasley, Co-President of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Incorporated._

_PS: In case our words overwhelmed you, young Harry, you are now one very rich little kid and seeing as you're on the Board, we suppose we can't, in good faith, prank you. Oh well. There's always Ronniekins._

Harry laughed out loud. The Weasley twins, insane as they are, were like the older brothers Harry never had. He gave them the thousand Galleons out of guilt from Cedric's death/good faith; he didn't expect or want them to pay him back. But it seems that the two were adamant in doing so. He grinned to himself, happy at the thought that the twins could realise their dreams. His happy mood was broken, however, when he read the last letter. From Percy.

_Dear Harry,_

_It's me, Percy, and I would like to take this opportunity to explain some things to you. Firstly, however, I must ask for your forgiveness, for my treatment of you last year. I had slandered you, and I accept the fact that you may never forgive me. Still, I ask of it. However, there is a reason why I did this. I did it for the greater good. Not for my idiotic boss, Fudge, but for my true superior. That's right, Albus Dumbledore. I joined the Order of the Phoenix after the Triwizard tournament. I didn't tell mum and dad because I knew they would flip out. They'd probably protest (Mum certainly would) and not allow me to join. Professor Dumbledore told me the risk and sacrifices I'd have to make, but I joined nonetheless. I used my intelligence to get me promoted to my position under Fudge, and from there I passed information to Professor Dumbledore, about the activities of the ministry and most importantly, ex-Death Eaters who were still free._

_I know I can get a little pompous sometimes **(too true, Harry snorted)**, but I am still a Weasley and I love my family. It killed me to say those awful things to dad, but I had to keep up my cover as Fudge's fanatical assistant. I had to give you the cold treatment, as well, during your trial of the breach of the Decree of Under Aged Wizardry. Again, I am sorry, but it was for the best. I would rather have my family hate me then to see them dead, or worse, with You-Know-Who's wand pointed at them. I tried to tip you off by sending you a letter last year. It supposedly congratulated Ron for his prefect status and to keep him away from you. But in all honesty, Harry, it was a subtle warning I tried to give you about things that could happen at Hogwarts. I have enclosed a copy of the letter with this message. Read it carefully and you'll understand what I mean._

_Right now, I cannot face my family. Professor Dumbledore keeps me updated with information personally in private meetings. Currently, I live in London with my girlfriend Penelope Clearwater. I have one favour to ask you Harry. If I cannot earn your forgiveness, which is understandable, would you give this letter to my family? I am scared of facing them right now, when they think I am a traitor. That way, they might find it in their hearts to understand what I have gone through._

_Best of luck to you,_

_Percy Weasley._

Harry was in shock. He seriously did not see this one coming. Percy, an Order member? It wasn't possible! This was the same Percy who turned on his family! He didn't know what to think, as he drew the copy of the letter from last year and stared at it. Could Percy be telling the truth? With a speculative air, he read the letter, carefully picking it apart. At the end, he finally understood. Percy was indeed telling the truth.

"…_**I want to give you some advice…Hopefully, you will be able to read this away from prying eyes…"** Could this be a subtle hint that Percy was trying to tip Ron off, and not let others know that he was doing so?_

"_**..Dumbledore may not be in charge of Hogwarts much longer…Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts may soon be over…"** Could Percy be trying to tell them that the Ministry was seeking to kick out Dumbledore?_

"…_**Professor Umbridge…as she strives to make changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires (although she should find this easier next week…)"** Was Percy trying to warn them that the Ministry would make Umbridge the High Inquisitor soon, at the time?_

"…_**people who count have a very different...view of Potter's behaviour…Potter had come to a disciplinary hearing…did not come out looking good…got off a mere technicality…people I've spoken to remain convinced of his guilt…"** Was Percy confirming Harry's fears that the ministry was eagerly trying to find ways to expel Harry, like how Fudge tried to when the DA was discovered?_

Harry was somewhat saddened at his original opinion of Percy. True, Percy was pompous and ambitious, but he was wrong to think that he ever betray his own family. He remembered a conversation he had with Ginny, how he would always protect her from being teased by Ron and his brothers. That alone should have at least prompted Harry to give Percy the benefit of the doubt. Shaking his head, he resolved to help Percy as much as he could to reconcile with his family. After giving the letters a read over one last time, he made his replies. To his friends, he wrote that he was ok, that he would give his OWL scores when they meet again, and to not worry about him. To Lupin, he thanked him for his concerns and warned him to be careful on his 'tasks'. To the twins, he thanked them for adding him to his company, and assured them of his full support. Finally, to Percy, he wrote that he would vouch for him, forgive him and will try to explain the situation to the Weasleys.

After seeing Errol, Pig, and the school owl off, Harry turned back to his readings. He had finished revising notes on transmogrification – a dark branch of transfiguration which involves transfiguring parts of the opponent's body to hinder or injure. Although only someone of McGonagall's calibre could do it in a battle with good result, it was nonetheless an interesting read and Harry resolved to give it a shot. He could just imagine transfiguring a Death Eater's hand into a flipper, both disabling him and making him a laughing stock at the same time.

_Stop dreaming, Harry, you're not at that level yet. For now, I should read some more since it's only 10. Hey, why don't I read the books I purchased at that shop?_

Taking his para-Fidelius charmed bag from his trunk, he tipped it upside down onto his bed, spilling out the contents. He examined his various books, and decided to take a look at _Legilimency and Occlumency: Playing with the Mind_ first. He sighed wistfully at his charmed bag, wishing that he had bought more books. He would have, but he didn't know the shopkeeper would give him the bag.

_Hmm, I wish I had a book specialising in transfiguration, I really want to take up transmogrification…_

Suddenly, the bag (which was still in his hand), felt heavier than usual, than returned to its original, weightless form. Harry's eyes darted to the bag warily; he had felt the weight just as soon as he thought of a transfiguration book. Tipping his bag to make sure it was ok, he gasped when a book fell out of it.

"What the hell!"

A book, titled _Rare Transfiguration Arts_ was sitting with the pile of books that he bought. But Harry was sure he didn't buy this one! How did it end up there?

_Wait, I thought of a transfiguration book, and I got one. Let me see, then…_

"Uhh, I want a book that'll help me with girls." Harry said out aloud. He felt the weight in the bag, which promptly disappeared. Reaching into the bag, he pulled out a very fat book titled _A Wizard's Guide to Women: How to Bring Out the Wicked in Any Witch._

Harry's eyes widened as he saw this. He got the book he wanted, instantly!

_Where the hell was this when I was dating Cho!_

Shaking his head, he decided that Fate was finally giving him a break. Though, he still wandered about the bag. Did the shopkeeper know what this bag really was? And if he did, why did he give it to Harry?

_What the hell is this bag, really?_

Harry felt the bag get heavy once more. Reaching into it with a quizzical look, he pulled out an old tome titled _Objects of Requirement._

"Could this be what I think it is?" muttered Harry to himself as he began to read…

…**Objects of requirement are things that provide to the needs of the wizard or witch that charmed the object…**

…**There are two types: Generators and Transporters. Generators are Objects of Requirement that conjure an item into existence via powerful conjuring Charms and Runes inscribed on the item. The most famous, and most rare type of Object of Requirement are the Rooms of Requirement. These rooms are charmed to generate what the user requires, however, despite the powerful magic necessary to create the effect, the items can only exist within the room. Smaller objects are limited to produce certain items only, but often these items are stable and can be used like any other. For example, the Hogwarts founder Rowena Ravenclaw was a renowned archer, known for her keen eye and her Quiver of Requirement, which produced and endless supply of arrows for her use. More common generators, but still very rare in the Wizarding world include Cupboards of Requirement and Wine Cellars of Requirement (see page 182 for information for domestic Objects of Requirement)…**

…**The second type, and usually more common type of Objects of Requirement are the transporters. These objects are charmed to bring an object from one source to the user, which is why transporters are usually items that can hold something. The charm and rune patterns for this are easier to perform, but still out of the reach for anything less than a powerful wizard. Transporters allow the user access to their required items without the constraint of having to carry it around, or to go back to the source for more. The most common type of transporter are Moneybags of Requirement, which wealthier wizards use to make expensive purchases. Other examples include Suitcases of Requirement (page 210) and Bookbags of Requirement (page 212)…**

…**Bookbags of Requirement are usually transporters that allow the user unlimited access to their libraries, anywhere in the world. The charms are inscribed on the bag and around the library in question, which constructs the magical transportation link between the two. Very few of the ancient families possess at least one of these valuable tools, and it was rumoured that Merlin's Bookbag of Requirement was linked to his own library, which is considered the be the greatest in the world…**

"Wow…so I have a Bookbag of Requirement, now?" Harry couldn't help but think of the possibilities that the bag offered to him. If it could provide him a book on how to deal with females, then it should be able to cater for his training. Speaking of which, Harry had decided to begin his training tomorrow. Firstly, he would need to go to muggle library near the Dursley household to get some books to raise a child (ie Mana). And when Blaise arrived, he would take the Day Bus (the day version of the Knight Bus, Harry heard this from Moody and got assurances that the ride was no less comfortable) to Diagon Alley, where he would purchase a few things. During his first week back at Four Pivett Drive, he decided he would need: a second wand (his wand was useless against Voldemort's as they're brother wands), duelling robes (for that extra protection), books on obscure light and dark arts (Harry had figured that if he was going to stand a chance against Voldemort, he would need to learn this. This means a trip to Knockturn Alley…) and maybe another owl to replace Hedwig, or Mana as she is known now.

_It's going to cost me…but since I have about two and a half thousand Galleons left, I'll leave 1000 for my school supplies and to get me settled once I leave Hogwarts. The other one and half thousand should be able to cover what I need to buy, though those duelling robes aren't going to be cheap…_

Harry, after giving some thought to his finances, decided to close up his transfiguration book for the night. Unlike Hermione, he didn't get a thrill studying for hours. He was going to begin his training after he had gotten his supplies, which meant that he had nothing to do for the night. Or maybe…

_The Literati Potion! I can read Moste Potente Potions to see how it works! And I remember that I still have my animagus potion in the basement. It's only a few days old, it's stayed at room temperature as well. If I add the Kappa blood and maybe some powdered Schizzle root to freshen it up, maybe it could work? Yeah, that's what I'll do for tonight._

Looking at his watch, he saw that it was 11:00 in the evening. He opened _Moste Potente Potions_, and after taking a look in the index, he found the correct page.

**The Literati Potion was developed by Hogwarts Headmaster Edward Stormwater during the period after the Dark Lord Maloris' reign, most commonly known as the Middle Ages. During this time, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry began a greater intake of muggle-born students. However, Stormwater noticed that muggle children had very little to no literary skill whatsoever. They could not read or write, which was of course, vital in magical education. Only the wealthier muggle-born students had theses skills, and it was usually the boys. Stormwater sympathised with the muggle-borns, seeing as he was a half-blood himself. And so, he developed the Literati Potion. This potion allowed the transfer of one's literary skill to another. It is very easy to make, and without the key ingredient, it should be an orange colour…(it goes on a few pages on how to make the potion)**

…**The key ingredient is a drop of blood of donor, from which the literary knowledge will be transferred from to the recipient of the potion. They donor should not be more than eight years younger or older than the recipient, or brain damage may occur. One drop of blood is needed, which will turn the potion into a green colour. The potion should be given at least five hours to settle. After this, the recipient need only drink some of the potion for the effect to work instantly, though it may result in some drowsiness. This means that one standard 4 size vial full of potion can probably be given to 10-12 recipients…**

Harry took the flask of Literati potion that Hagrid gave him, and gave it a careful look. The liquid inside it was still orange, so the blood must have not been added yet. He set the flask down to one side, and took off the stopper. Harry then pulled out his wand, and muttered,

"_Diffindo_." Harry uttered the words of the cutting spell with little conviction as he aimed it at his hand. He only wanted a little blood, not to cut off his hand. A faint, blue streak of light emerged from his wand and connected with his hand. The resulting cut was small, but blood oozed from it nonetheless. He positioned his hand over the flask of Literati potion, and allowed a single drop of his blood to fall into the potion. The liquid fizzled for a bit, which indicated to Harry that he should leave the potion to settle. He set it beside his trunk.

_Now, for that animagus potion that I screwed up…_

Still somewhat confused how he got 'O's in his O.W.L potions yet he made such a simple mistake in his animagus potion, Harry took _Moste Potente Potions_ with him as he journeyed his way down to the basement. He passed the lounge room; Mana was still watching Jackass, but judging by her droopy eye lids and her relaxed form, Harry figured she was going to doze off soon. Harry soon made it back to the basement, back to where Hedwig was lost and Mana was born. His ingredients and equipment was still there; his incorrect potion still looked alright, so Harry got down to work. Opening the unopened pack of Kappa blood, he finally got around to adding the 5 millilitres of the brown Kappa blood. Harry then added some diced Schizzle root to the concoction, turning the liquid in his cauldron from its bluish-white colour to the rightful grey colour, according to _Moste Potente Potions_. Harry let his potion simmer as he read more of the instructions:

**The Animagus Revealing potion puts its user into a dream-like trance (for about a few minutes), during which time the user experiences a vision of his/her animagus form. After waking from the trance, the user will temporarily transform into the animagus form, allowing the user to experience the form without problem, before reverting back into human form. It is at this point that the user can decide whether to pursue animagus training.**

As soon as Harry had finished reading, he took out a goblet and scooped some of the contents of the cauldron into it. Looking carefully at the liquid inside the goblet, he wanted to make sure that he had the grey liquid. It wouldn't do for the Boy-Who-Lived to morph himself into a bat, or something. Harry was a little nervous about the size of his form; what if the basement wasn't big enough? Then again, not many creatures were bigger than the Four Pivett Drive basement, and he wouldn't want to get caught transforming into his animal by his neighbours if he took the potion outside. Shrugging, Harry made his way to the middle of the basement, cleared out some of the books stashed in that position and sat down. Taking one, careful look at his potion, he uttered a quick prayer before drank down the contents of the goblet. The potion was actually bland; in a wild moment Harry feared that he messed up again, but then he suddenly felt drowsy. The dim light of the basement seemed to fluctuate in Harry's view. His world began to swirl, before it was swallowed up by darkness…

_Harry was aware that he was still conscious, yet asleep. It was if he had slipped into a dream where he was in control. A black void surrounded him, and for what seemed like hours, Harry felt he had slipped into oblivion. Harry began to panic: what if he didn't have a form? What if he couldn't wake up! His fears were alleviated, however, when a swirling white mass appeared right in front of him. Harry grew excited; his form was finally going to appear! However, his curiosity skyrocketed when the white mass…split into two! What kind of weirdo creature has twin bodies! Harry's non-existent eyes darted left and right, seeing which mass would take form first. The left form caught Harry's attention; it began to colour itself in. The coloured mass began to shift; slowly assuming a form. At first, Harry couldn't recognise it, but after a few seconds he definitely saw a pair of wings. Thus, he assumed he was some kind of bird. A very colourful bird, judging by the mass of colours appearing. Harry figured he was some kind of tropical bird, like a toucan or parrot. A large, elegant looking one at that. He couldn't complain; at least he had a normal looking form. Harry's eyes darted to the form on the right, but as he did so, the black void surrounding him burst into white; Harry managed to get a glimpse of the form of the mass on the right. It looked…almost human. That's all he saw, until he awoke from the trance…_

Harry woke with a startle. He looked at his surroundings; he was still in the basement. Only this time, he noticed the tiny crack on the other side of the floor, the deep brown hue of the walls, the tiny dust particles on a box in front of him…if he didn't know better, his vision had just improved dramatically. This confirmed Harry's suspicion that he was a bird of some sort. He flapped his wings, and to his surprise, he took off from the ground with little effort. He felt as light as a feather and with the gentle beat of wings, he hovered in the basement. Harry cocked his long, elegant neck to inspect his wings. Harry was shocked. His feathers were of a beautiful, rainbow coloured plumage that seemed to sparkle in the faint glow of the basement light. His beak was a shiny golden colour. And he was pretty sure that he had head tails and tail feathers. Harry felt on top of the world. He laughed with joy, or to be more precise, _tried_ to laugh. But what emerged from his beak was not a laugh, not even a squawk or chirp. It was, instead, the most beautiful sound he had ever heard in his life. It was phoenix song. Only this time, it sounded so divine it couldn't possible be real. Harry cocked his head towards mirror in the basement and felt his beak drop. Staring right back at him was a phoenix.

A rainbow coloured phoenix, with startling green eyes.

Harry was ready to cry with joy, in fact, he did, and some rainbow coloured tears emerged from his eyes and landed on the basement floor. He was a rainbow phoenix! He was about to fly out of the basement when he felt a tingling sensation; his wings seemed heavy, his eyes losing their focus, blackness overwhelming his vision…

When Harry's eyes re-focused, he was shocked with the sight that greeted him. His vision just as acute as his phoenix form, yet for some reason, he felt he had some hidden sixth sense. For some strange reason, Harry knew that there were a family of four in the house next door, and that they felt happy. And for some reason, Harry felt hungry…very hungry…

It was at this point that Harry realised he was floating in the air. He also realised that his immediate environment was cold, even though he wasn't cold himself. Harry extended one of his arms, and with a shock, realised that his 'form' was wearing pitch black robes, streaked with red. Harry almost screamed when he saw his hand.

His hand was a cold, bluish-grey hue, almost skeletal in appearance. With a feeling of dread, he looked at the mirror once more. What he saw turned his blood into ice.

A dementor stared right back at him. A dementor with eerie, green eyes.

Harry could only tremble as he saw his form. How on earth did he become one of the most dreadful creatures ever to walk the earth! Despite his terror, Harry felt that he had some sort of wings. He turned his head to his side, and with a sickening realisation, saw that he had several yellowy-white bones protruding from his back, Had he had not been so disgusted by the look, he would've realised that the bones resembled wings, minus the flesh. His 'sixth' sense informed him of a female, young, near him, that was feeling terror beyond her wildest nightmares…

Harry once again experience the tingling sensation, and then blacking out. When he came to, he realised he was human again. Realising what had just happened, he fell to his knees…

_What...what on earth! I thought I was a rainbow phoenix, but instead, I'm a dementor. What's wrong with me! What I am like that! Is this some kind of cruel turn of fate? That my greatest fear is also my animagus form! I felt despair…such despair, yet I enjoyed it. Why? Why am I like that…_

Harry could not stop himself from weeping. He sobbed of his misfortune of being the thing he feared the most. That his animagus form, that he so wanted to achieve (just like his father and Sirius), was nothing but a mockery of Harry's worst fears. A being that could not feel happiness. Harry wept quietly in the basement, when a bright flash caught the corner of his eye. Drying his tears, Harry looked at the source of the flash and gasped.

A rainbow phoenix was staring at him. Although, the look in its eye was one of curiosity, and disappointment. Relieving himself of his sadness, Harry approached the beautiful creature, to see what it was doing in his basement. It let out a quick, slightly sad song, which for some reason, Harry understood…

_**Who are you?**_

_I…My name is Harry Potter…_ Harry spoke to the phoenix, which seemed to understand…

_**But…I thought…that there was another…**_

_Another of what?_

_**Another of my kind. Another Rainbow Phoenix**…_

_Oh…well, that is my animagus form_

_**You are a rainbow phoenix animagus**?_ The phoenix looked very intrigued

_I guess…who are you?_

**_My name is Ho-oh. To this day, the only Rainbow phoenix in existence._**

_I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get your hopes up._ Harry looked apologetic

**_Don't worry about it. Although I am still alone, it seems that I have a brother amongst the humans_**

_Well, thanks I guess. But I'm not sure if I am a rainbow phoenix…_

_**How do you doubt? I certainly felt your presence, which says you are a rainbow phoenix, even if you are an animagus**_

_You know about animagus, then?_

_**I know all about human knowledge.**_

_Well, ok, that'll save me on explanations. Well, at first I was a phoenix, but then I transformed into a weird looking dementor._

_**Oh? How so?**_

_Well, my robes were streaked with red, and I had skeletal wings_

_**Interesting…very interesting…**_

_Why's that?_

_**I know all about you, Harry. My mind connected with yours when I appeared in front of you. I know all about you, but I did not mean to intrude. It just happened.**_

_Err, don't worry about it._

_**Yes. Well, it seems you are a Condemned Dementor**_

_What on earth is that?_

**_All Dementors are eventually freed from their curse. They are originally humans who have lived terrible, unhappy lives and die full of despair. In that case, their souls rise from the dead to rob the happiness they were denied in life from the living. Eventually, they move on to the after life. Condemned Dementors are created from souls so twisted, so full of despair, that they spend the rest of eternity spreading their despair. They usually come from the souls of powerful Dark Lords. Amongst dementors, they are lords of their kind. They are extremely powerful, they can drive a person to insanity with little effort, they can kill with a touch and they can suck the souls of many people at a time._**

_If that's the case, then how come they aren't wreaking havoc around the world? Wouldn't dementors be flocking to them now, instead of rotting in Azkaban?_

_**A good point, but remember that condemned dementors can still be killed. It would take several, exceptionally powerful light wizards to destroy one. There are none left in the world. The last one was killed about two hundred and fifty years ago.**_

_That's good. Regular dementors are bad enough_

_**I agree. On a different note, would you like to know about your traits?**_

_Traits?_

**_When humans have magical animagus forms, their human form inherits traits from their animal forms. Even non magical animagus forms can yield traits. From sensing your memories, I have surmised that your godfather Sirius, a dog animagus, would've had a better sense of smell, and affinity for creatures of the canine family. His laugh, if I recall, sounded like a bark. That's what I mean by traits. However, you are a polymagus, an animagus with multiple forms, and thus you have quite a few traits, from two exceptionally rare creatures._**

_Such as?_

**_Well, who better to tell you about rainbow phoenix traits than myself? Although there has been no previous rainbow phoenix animagus, what I'm about to tell you should be accurate. Firstly, any ailments you have will be corrected. Be it a disease, injury, or birth defect, it will be healed. Next, you should have incredible self-healing ability. You can regenerate damaged tissue almost instantaneously. You'll have enhanced vision that is still useful in places of little light, your human tears can rejuvenate stamina, and in time, you will teach yourself how to project an aura of hope around you. Oh, since I consider myself a creature of absolute light, I am pretty sure that dementors can no longer harm you. Nor will they be able to kiss you. Should be useful, yes?_**

_Wow, Ho-oh that sounds awesome! But…what can a condemned dementor do for me?_

_**Plenty. Firstly, you will learn how to project an aura of despair around you. In time, you will also develop how to sense emotions. You do realise that dementors are legilimens? That means you will master occlumency and legilimency, to an extent that no human could possibly reach. If you happen to learn ice magic, you will become extra proficient in it, since dementors happen to be good in that field. Finally, and most importantly, dementors will obey your will without fail. Even the most powerful dark lord is second to a condemned dementor in the eyes of a normal dementor.**_

_I guess being a condemned dementor has its perks…_

_**Yes, but these traits will only be apparent if you master the animagus form. Don't think that because you've experienced the form, means you'll have the traits.**_

_I understand. Tell me, what are rainbow phoenixes like? _Ho-oh drew himself up proudly

**_Well, since you are rainbow phoenix number two, it would be an honour for me to tell you of my secrets. Firstly, I think I'm immortal. I've been alive ever since the earth came to existence, I've been hit with every curse and muggle weapon you can think of and I'm still feeling youthful and strong. My tears not only heal injuries, but also restore strength. A wizard with a vial of my tears could take out an army without tiring. I can teleport myself as well as fly, I am also a legilimens and an empath, meaning I can sense emotions. My burning days happen to occur once every 50 years or so, and believe me, it's painful. I see myself as a creature of divine light, so dark creatures often feel uneasy or weak in my presence. Oh, and I consider my song to be amazing, and my looks divine._**

Harry laughed _Have you ever had a master?_

_**Yes, I've have had one master. The wizard Merlin. However, I have appeared and assisted humans from time to time.**_

_Wow, so you knew the greatest wizard of all._

_**Yes. He was a pretty good person, apart from the fact that sometime he could not resist the lure of young women…**_

_You mean…_

_**Yes, he's a bit of pervert.**_

At the Isle of Avalon, somebody sneezed.

Harry and Ho-Oh talked for the rest of the night, going into the early hours of the morning. They discussed things like Merlin's life, obscure magical arts, and basically how Harry could improve his magical powers. Harry learned quite a bit from the multi-coloured phoenix, and was about to ask about his true powers when Ho-oh decided to go home.

_**It is getting late, Harry. I must return to my roost, and you must sleep.**_

_Yes, I guess you're right. Thanks for everything, Ho-oh._

_**It was my pleasure, Harry. I like you. Even if you weren't a rainbow phoenix animagus, I still would've helped you out. Here, I want to give you something, as a token of our friendship.**_

Ho-oh shook his magnificent body, and five of his rainbow coloured tail feathers fell to the floor. Ho-oh picked them up with his beak, and dropped them into Harry's hands.

_**These are my tail feathers. Since I think I'm pretty powerful, they should themselves be powerful substances. I daresay they'll come in handy for you, considering your plans.**_

_Oh?_

_**You say you wanted a second wand, did you not? Why not have a wand that has my tail feather as its core?**_

_Really? Oh, man, that'd be awesome!_ Ho-oh trilled a joyful song.

**_I am glad. Listen, I must be off. Please take care of yourself, Harry. If you ever need me, just call me. When you have mastered your rainbow phoenix form, you will know how to._**

_I will. You take care too, Ho-oh, umm, I know you're immortal, but take care nonetheless._ Ho-oh drew himself up happily and sang on last song

**_Farewell, Harry. _**And with that, Ho-on disappeared in a bright, multi-coloured flash of light.

Harry checked his watch. It was already 2 o'clock in the morning and he himself was getting drowsy. Harry packed up his potions kit and _Moste Potente Potions_ book, carried them to his room, and stashed them into his trunk. He then headed downstairs to the lounge room, in order to get Mana to bed. The said owl-girl was awake, staring at floor, the part where the basement would be under. A look of fear was etched on her face.

_It's…it's my fault. My condemned dementor form must have scared her._ Harry thought bitterly. He approached the nervous looking girl and put his hands on her slender shoulders.

"Mana? Mana, go to sleep." Mana tilted her head up to look at Harry. Her normally bright yellow eyes were dull.

"Sleep?" she muttered, almost to herself, "Harry…Mana…Mana scared…" She looked at her lap and whimpered softly. Harry tenderly cupped her cheek.

"Mana…don't be scared." he whispered softly, "I'm here." Somehow, Mana seemed to understand because some of the brightness of her eyes began to return. She nodded faintly and stood up.

"Sleep." she said, yawning for effect.

Harry turned off the TV, and led Mana back to his tiny bedroom. He met no resistance. Seeing that the Dursleys were gone, he figured that he would sleep on the couch, for Mana's privacy. So he didn't drape her with the invisibility cloak when he tucked her in. He was about to head off to the lounge room when a hand latched onto his arm. Turning around, he saw that Mana was sat up on the bed, and grabbed onto him. Harry looked confused.

"Mana, I'm going to the lounge." Harry said slowly, pointing to the door, "I'm going to sleep."

"No!" cried Mana vehemently. To Harry's shock, Mana moved over to the edge of Harry's small bed, grabbed his knees, and tried to force them down, in order to get Harry to sit on the bed. Harry was faintly reminded of the time he taught Mana how to sit down.

"Stay." whispered Mana. "Harry…stay…" Harry slowly nodded. He got into bed next to Mana, waiting for Mana to fall to asleep. As she slowly drifted off, some thoughts ran through Harry's head.

_So much has happened in these last few days. First, the Dursleys leave me, so I can go about my plan to become stronger without much interference. I get my O.W.L results and I find I do awesome. My friends send me letters; it shows that they still care. I can't wait to meet up with them again. Then I find that I now possess a book bag of requirement, allowing me to get whatever book I need, or whatever books that are in the library it is connected to, anyway. Then I find my animagus forms, a rainbow phoenix and a condemned dementor, as well as meet up with Ho-oh._

_I've got a lot of work ahead of me. I only have 20 more days to train, 37 if I can train in secret when the Dursleys return. I return to Grimmauld place halfway during August. Considering my academic and physical abilities, I probably won't have learned enough to last long against Voldemort, so I'll have to train at school in secret. But I can't lose hope. I promised myself that I would make Sirius proud. And I intend to keep that promise._

_Mana really shot my plans up, but I guess it can't be helped. She's really nice, when I think about it, although I really have to teach her more. I've seen five year olds talk better than she can. Good thing Blaise is helping me out. What will happen to Mana when I get back to Hogwarts? Can I bring her with me? I have to find a way to allow her to stay with me, the though of her alone with Dursleys just scares the hell out of me. Or hopefully, I can leave her with the Weasleys. But I would much prefer to have her by my side. Even though I haven't known her for long, I'm already getting attached to her. Oh well, whatever happens, I'll take in stride._

And with that note, Harry drifted into the lands of dreams, a determined look on his face.

End chapter.

AN: I apologise for the major delay in this chapter. I had one hell of a writer's block, and I really couldn't think of anything for weeks. Add to that second year university preparation and kenjutsu practice, so I haven't been giving this story much thought. But I guess I'm alright now. In case you were wondering, Mana's character was inspired by two anime characters, Chi and Ren from Chobits and DearS, respectively. For the nest chapter, Harry will learn more secrets (especially about himself, though none of that 'heir of Gryffindor' cliché), replace Hedwig and conduct his training. Once again, thank you for the reviews.

Stay tuned for the next chapter, _Awakening_.


	5. Awakening

**For my reviewers:**

**triquetraperson: **Yes, I did get the Ho-Oh idea from Pokemon, but I didn't use the name just because of that. If my etymology is correct, the word 'Ho-Oh' comes from the Japanese word 'Howo', meaning phoenix.

**devil's nightmare:** I have no intentions on making this a super Harry fic. So I apologize, but you won't be seeing Harry with uber-powerful swords, blasting apart Voldie like he was trash. The 'Harry getting stronger' element of this story is equal to the 'Mana' element.

**Merle Elendil:** I'm happy you think this fic reminds you of Chobits! That's my goal, to write Harry Potter with a slight anime flair. I don't plan on making Mana into a normal talking human anytime soon, so expect more 'moments' from Mana!

**Now, on with the story!**

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its associated trademarks are the property of J.K Rowling. The plot and original characters in this fiction are my own. This fictional work is written for recreational purposes only. No copyright is intended.

Morning.

Harry's body kicked into gear as his eyes fluttered open to greet the new day. Sticking his hand out, he grabbed his glasses and put them on, while at the same time sitting in bed. Looking at his watch, it was only 5:30 in the morning. He'd only have a few hours of sleep, yet he felt refreshed. But unlike other mornings before, he didn't wake up screaming.

_That's strange…I haven't had any visions from Voldemort lately. Hell, ever since the fiasco at the Ministry, I've never had a vision from him, and my dreams of Sirius dying ended the night I got my emancipation. It must mean that Voldemort is keeping a low profile, for now. He's either building up his forces or he's hatching up a new plan. My training begins today. As soon as I get my stuff, I will begin._

Feeling somewhat low for thinking about his nemesis so early in the morning, Harry turned to look at Mana. The owl-turned-girl was still sleeping. Harry smiled gently at the sight of Mana's sleeping form. With her peaceful look on her face, her silky brown hair draped over her cheeks and her soft breaths, she was tranquillity embodied. Not wanting to wake her, he decided to do a little reading before the sun went up. Harry opened his trunk, pulled out a random book, turned on the light (the bulb was quite dim in his room) and began to read. He had gotten _Banishing the Dark: Introduction to Light Arts_.

_**Dear Reader,**_

_**I thank you for buying the third edition of my book, Banishing the Dark. This text will introduce you to the more interesting light arts classified magic, knowledge that is probably not well circulated in the world today. However, before you delve into the information this book contains, I would like to ask you a question. Does light magic make you good, and does dark magic make you evil?**_

**_You may think that is quite a stupid question, as you will most probably say, "of course light is good and dark is evil." Well dear reader, my following words may change your mind. If you do not wish to be detoured by an old man's rumblings, then by all means continue to the contents. But if you would like to have a different outlook on good and evil, dark and light, please heed my words._**

_**Let me ask you this: why is light magic considered inherently good? Is it because light magic protects people? That it doesn't hurt anyone? If that is your answer, than your reasoning is incorrect. You would be quite surprised to know that the light arts contains quite a few spells that can inflict pain, even more so than 'dark' spells. But yet they are considered 'good' even though they do 'evil'.**_

**_Let me give you an example. Not many people know this, but the light arts has its own killing spell. Yes, as in Avada Kedavra type killing. The rare, legendary annihilation counter curse, Terminus Est. I will not get into the specifics of this spell, but let me assure you, it is far worse than the Avada Kedavra. The Avada Kedavra kills the target instantly, without pain. Terminus Est is a counter curse that can counter any curse, and when it does, the attacker will feel pain according to the spell used against the caster, and will then die. Say wizard B caster the bone breaking on wizard A, and A casts Terminus Est. Wizard B will feel all his bones breaking, before he dies, in agony. Why is such a barbaric spell called 'good?'_**

**_Because we believe it to be good. The idea of 'good' is a social construction, what may be good for society 1 may be different to society 2. Yet the reasoning for current society to say Terminus Est is good, is the fact that it is a counter curse. Never mind the fact that it torments it's target before it kills it. Then, is it possible that dark arts may have spells that aren't evil?_**

**_Yes, the dark arts has spells that one might think, that is without established belief, can't possibly be good. The Hex Luminae creates a physical beam of light, which can shine in the darkness or any area without poor visibility. Doesn't seem evil now, does it? Oh, it can also be used to impale an opponent. It is evil because it can hurt, yet so many spells that one may learn at school can hurt others, yet they are not in taboo with society. A Diffindo can cut an opponent's limb with enough force, while repeated Stupefys can knock a target into a coma. One last example: the unforgivable curse, the Imperious, is unforgivable because it dominates a person's mind and makes them an unwilling slave. But did you know, the Imperious was developed in ancient times as a way to help people overcome fear and trauma. Why is it 'evil' now? Why can a light spell kill? Why can a dark spell be used as a cure? Do you see the point I am trying to make?_**

**_Intent. What makes a light or dark spell good or evil is the intent of the person casting it. Using Terminus Est to defend oneself from an attempted murder is not bad, but using it on a person casting a helpful charm on you is. Using Hex Luminae is stab a person trying to kill your family is not bad, but deliberately trying to impale someone though the heart because you don't like them is not good. What we hope to achieve using magic is what is important, not how it is done. Whether it is to help a friend or to cripple a neighbour, it is all in the head. Not in the wand._**

**_So dear reader, I implore you, keep an open mind when reading this book and it's companion book, Erasing the Light: Introduction to Dark Arts. Do not be afraid to use dark arts for good deeds, and don't justify evil deeds with light magic. The only good and evil in this world is not in magic, but in our minds and hearts._**

_**Vergil Alighieri**_

Harry closed the book, looking clearly shaken. Could…could dark arts be used for good? Could light arts be used for evil! It just doesn't add up! Harry had always lived by the belief that light is good, dark is bad. He got his first taste of this divide when, almost 6 years ago, Hagrid had told him that some wizards went bad. It was reinforced when he met Ron and his stance towards the dark side, and Malfoy with his attitude. It was at this point that Harry realised he will never do dark magic, because he didn't want to turn 'evil'. And through the past 5 years, his belief in that light is good and dark is bad grew stronger, whether it was from the various Quidditch matches against Slytherin or his showdowns at Voldemort. He never once considered that life was not two dimensional, that there was an in-between. That, between darkness and light, there would be shades of grey.

Harry closed up the book and set it by his bedside table. He simply opened the blinds in his tiny room and waited for the sun to rise. Sure enough, at around 6, Harry's side of the world was illuminated in the yellow glow of the morning sun. Surprisingly, Mana woke up at the exact moment a rooster crowed, when the hands on his watch hit 6:00. Fluttering her eyes open, she let out a soft yawn as she sat up and faced Harry. Harry was still facing the dawning sun when some tentative nudges on his shoulder blades caused him to turn around to a hungry Mana.

"Harry." Said the golden eyed girl sheepishly, as she pointed to her stomach, "Eat?"

Harry led Mana down to kitchen for some breakfast. This time, though, he didn't have to hold her hand as he made his way to the kitchen. It seemed that Mana finally started to understand when she needed to follow Harry, because when she saw Harry stand up on from the bed she did the same. Harry was quite amused (and thankful) that she was following him almost normally to the kitchen (she did poke the occasional door knob though). So when the two reached the kitchen, Harry had Mana sit down.

"Sit, Mana." ordered Harry as he pulled out a chair for Mana to sit down in. Curiously enough, Mana didn't take the offered chair. Rather, she imitated Harry's actions and pulled out another chair at the Dursley table, before sitting herself comfortably in it. She beamed happily at the surprised looking Harry.

"Wow Mana, you're learning pretty fast." muttered Harry as he whipped out his wand to make some breakfast. Mana tilted her head to the side and smiled. It was obvious she didn't understand what Harry just said, but she knew she had done something good. For today's breakfast, Harry conjured some generic corn flakes cereal with milk. He made two bowls, and he pushed one towards Mana.

"Eat." Said Harry as he dug into his meal. He was so ingrossed with breakfast that he failed to notice Mana, looking quite lost as she picked up a spoonful of cereal. "Harry." Stuttered Mana in confusion as she poked the contents of the spoon with a tentative finger. Harry looked up and grinned.

"Hey girl, just eat, ok?" he said good naturedly. To demonstrate his point, Harry scooped another spoonful of cereal into his spoon and ate. "Eat." He repeated.

"Eat." Muttered Mana to herself. Bringing the spoon to her lips, she prepared to eat with Harry watching her. She slowly picked up the corn flakes with her teeth and ate them, before drinking the milk that was left in the spoon. She looked up at Harry, obviously pleased with her success.

"Mana eat!" she exclaimed playfully. In her happiness, she failed to notice Harry trying to stifle his laughs (or maybe she did but she didn't know what it meant). "Harry?' she asked in uncertainty.

_I get it know_ Harry thought _She's confused. She doesn't know how to treat the cereal, as a solid or liquid. That's why she's eating the flakes and milk separately. Maybe I should show her…_

"Mana, watch me." commanded Harry as he dug up another spoonful of cereal. Mana's eyes blinked in surprise, but her gaze never left Harry. Satisfied with his demonstration, Harry motioned Mana to give it a shot. She scooped up some of the cereal, and with visible hesitation, plopped the spoon into her mouth, at which point she began to chew. Her face broke into a smile as she did so, and she began to ravenously demolish her breakfast. Harry relaxed, and enjoyed the meal with his golden-eyed ward.

Since Harry was planning to take Mana to the library, he had to make her look presentable. That meant another round of showering. Although embarrassed, Harry managed to give Mana a decent shower without dying of blood loss through the nose. After the shower, he also presented Mana with panties, a bra, a pair of jeans and a generic white shirt. The owl-girl put on the clothes without hassle, much to Harry's utter relief. He couldn't handle the thought of having to dress Mana again (although the naughtier part of his mind thought otherwise). He led Mana to the lounge room where he turned on the TV for her enjoyment. Unfortunately for the owl-girl, there was no Jackass to watch, but she seemed quite content with the current show, an anime called Yukitate! Japan. After making sure she was occupied, Harry took his own shower. After changing his clothes, Harry remembered that he had to administer the Literati potion to Mana. He took the flask that he had set overnight and pulled out a dropper from his potions kit, and headed to the lounge room. Mana was currently engrossed in the TV show, and didn't notice Harry until he prodded her in the shoulder. She turned her head, her brown hair cascading over her shoulder, and gave Harry a playful smile,

"Harry?" Harry showed Mana the flask and dropper,

"I've got something for you to drink, Mana." He filled the dropper with Literati potion, and set the flask to the side. Mana looked at the dropper with curiosity.

"Food?" she inquired, almost hopefully. Harry chuckled, and corrected her.

"No, drink." Mana's face brightened, she obviously thought the stuff in the dropper was as tasty as cola. She held out her hand, looking at the dropper. Harry decided not to give it to her; knowing Mana, she'd probably eat the dropper. Instead, he motioned towards his mouth, which he opened wide. He 'ahhhhed', and repeatedly pointed to his mouth. Mana seemed to get the picture, as she opened her mouth wide and began to point repeatedly to it as well. Harry nodded, and closed in on her with the dropper. Mana noticed this, and although she didn't do anything, her eyes betrayed her nervousness. Harry caught on to this, and smiled gently.

"Trust me, Mana." He didn't expect her to understand, but for some reason, the hesitation in Mana's golden eyes vanished in an instant. Harry positioned the dropper over Mana's mouth and, after making sure Mana wasn't going to make a run for it, squeezed the dropper, allowing the drop of Literati potion to fall into Mana's mouth. Mana closed her mouth and swallowed. Harry anxiously looked on, praying to whatever God that was listening that he had done the right thing. Mana's eyes glazed over somewhat for a few seconds, before she refocused her view on Harry. Apart from that, there seem to be no sign that the potion worked. In desperation, Harry scrounged around the lounge table and pulled out magazine. He presented the magazine to Mana, and pointed to a particular word on the cover. Mana looked at the word, and said,

"Queen." She looked at Harry, as if asking for his judgement. Harry looked stunned, but a wide smile made its way to his face. He patted Mana on the head, grinning,

"Yes Mana. Queen." Mana smiled in pleasure, but then tilted her head to the side.

"Queen?" she asked slowly. Harry looked stupidly at Mana for a moment, until his brain kicked into gear.

_Of course. Just because she can read and write now doesn't mean she can talk normally or understand terms. Well, I've given her the potion; it's time to head to the library._

"Mana, follow me." commanded Harry as he took Mana's hand in his. He led Mana to the front door. After putting his shoes (Mana put her sandals on her own), Harry locked up the house and made his way to the library with Mana.

On the way, Harry pointed out more things to Mana. He figured that, since she could read now, she might have an easier time in understanding things. It was a bright, cloudless morning in Surrey, and by checking his watch, it was only 10:00 in the morning. The traffic rush hour would've already passed, so Harry enjoyed a leisurely stroll hand in hand with Mana. He pointed out various signs to Mana, and she would read them out.

"McDonald's."

"Bargain."

"Detour."

Harry admired the Literati potion; it certainly did its job. Mana could read at the same level as Harry. After half an hour's walk, the pair finally made it to Surrey district library. It was a relatively new building: red bricked and supported by white pillars, it was also equipped with state of the art muggle technology. So as Harry and Mana made their way up the stairs leading to the entrance, Harry pointed out the obstacle ahead of them.

"Automatic door." Informed Harry. Mana looked quite surprised; Harry surmised that this was the first time that she ever encountered muggle technology of this calibre. She looked somewhat hesitant as she and Harry approached the seeming solid glass doors: although she used to be an owl, she knew a hazard when she saw one. Mana tried to slow down her steps, but Harry led forward without hesitation. She was leaning back as she neared the doors, and was about to brace herself for impact when the doors slid open. Harry turned to her and grinned. Mana watched in fascination as the doors made a passageway for herself and Harry. She let out a relieved giggle as she pointed at the door.

"Auto…matic door, Harry?" she asked curiously. Harry nodded.

"That's right, Mana."

The two teenagers entered the air-conditioned library; Mana enjoyed the sensation of air gently touching her body. The library was moderately full that morning; people were walking up and down the shelves, writing furiously at the tables, typing at the computer consoles or lounging around the comfy sofas. Harry directed Mana to one of the empty sofas and bade her to sit down. She did so, while inspecting her surroundings with interest. After making sure Mana wasn't going to move, Harry went to the front counter to sign up for a library card. After a few minutes, Harry returned to Mana's sofa with a brand new, laminated library card in his hands. Mana stood up to greet Harry and pointed to the object in Harry's hand. Harry caught her gaze.

"This is a library card, Mana." said Harry while he showed the card to Mana. She looked at it with interest, before turning her attention back to Harry, signifying that she had her fun. Harry led Mana to some shelves near the back of the library (the library clerk pointed it out to him) and instructed Mana to stay by his side.

"Stay with me, Mana." ordered Harry. Mana nodded, and instinctively grabbed onto Harry's arm. Harry flushed red for a second, savouring in Mana's warm, feather-like touch, before he began to hunt for books. Surprisingly, Mana didn't do anything stupid, like eat a book, while Harry was searching. She turned her head to the side, and read out the words on the binding. Harry paid no attention as he pulled out several books related to child-rearing, and after perusing though a few, decided to keep three.

_Well, even though Mana looks like my age, she does act like a child. No, not even that, a baby. These books will help me deal with Mana. I hope, if all goes well, Mana will at least be able to talk a bit by the time I go to Hogwarts. If she can't come with me, then I'll ask Mrs Weasley if she can mind her._

After he finished raiding the parenting section, Harry pulled Mana over to the children's non-fiction section, where he had an amusing time picking out picture books for Mana's sake. The owl girl smiled at the sight of the pretty, colourful books and she couldn't help but prod a few as Harry took out some choice titles for Mana.

_When Blaise comes around later on I can ask her to read these with Mana, as well as teach her stuff._

Satisfied with his books, Harry headed over to the loans desk with Mana in tow. The borrowing process went without a hitch, although the librarian did throw a few weird looks at Harry and Mana. After all, it's not everyday a pair of teenagers would try and borrow books on child-raising. Putting his loaned books in a bag provided by the librarian, he led Mana out of the library and the two went back to Four Pivett Drive.

The pair arrived back at 12:00, lunch time. So when the two reached the kitchen, Harry conjured some fish and chips for lunch. The two ate lunch in silence, and without incident. It seemed that Mana was able to use her knife and fork effectively enough to eat her meal. Harry couldn't help but smile as he watched the owl-turned-girl eat normally, when a few days ago; she struggled to put on her T-shirt. Although she was still, in a normal person's standards, stupid, Harry was confident that she would become intelligent with time.

_I wonder what the Weasleys are going think when they see Mana. I mean, they are the nicest family a guy could ever have, but I know how Mrs Weasley tends to flip out when she sees something that isn't normal. Not that anything in the Wizarding world is normal, anyways. Wait…I have to find out if Mana is magical, in the first place. I mean, she was once my owl, but now she's human. Now I can't help but wonder. I'd rather have her with me at Hogwarts, but I would be more than happy to have her stay with the Weasleys. I guess the only chance I have in finding out is if she can cast a spell with my wand. It may not match her, but all I need is the slightest spark…_

Harry ate pensively, engrossed in his thoughts. Mana couldn't care less as she wolfed down her food. As soon as she had finished, Harry banished away their mess with an _Evanesco_, cleaned the plates and put them away. He then faced Mana, who was still sitting in her chair, smiling pleasantly. He didn't want to force Mana into doing this, but he had to be sure.

"Stand up, Mana." Mana's eyes brightened as she did so. She took her place next to Harry's side, almost like a house-elf awaiting orders. Painfully reminded of the treacherous Kreacher, he decided to move on to the next phase of his plans. He caught Mana's eye and gestured her to look at his wand. Mana did so. After making sure her attention was on him, he muttered,

"_Lumos!"_ A bright light emerged from Harry's wand, filling the kitchen they were in with light. Mana's eyes widened with awe as she saw the magic being performed. Harry repeated the light spell several times for Mana, until he saw understanding in her eyes. Breathing anxiously, he handed his wand to Mana who took it eagerly.

"Now Mana, _Lumos. Lumos._" Mana nodded, and holding Harry's phoenix feather wand firmly, she muttered the incantation.

"_Lumos_."

To Harry's utter shock, a bright light emerged from her wand, much brighter than his one had been. Not only did she pull off the spell, but she could do it on her first try, made it strong and she did it with a wand that didn't match with her! It was Harry's turn to watch Mana with awe, who in the meantime looked somewhat glad she did what she was ordered to.

"Mana!" cried Harry excitedly, "You're magical! You're a witch!"

Mana blinked in confusion as she heard Harry's statements. "Mana…witch?" she asked slowly.

Harry, invigorated with Mana's magical ability, was determined to show her what she was. He performed several low level charms, astounding Mana with his prowess (from her point of view).

"This is magic, Mana." he explained as he performed the _Avis_ charm, making a flock of birds emerge from his wand.

"Ma…magic?" she asked slowly, as she pointed to the end effects of Harry's spells.

"Yes!" cried Harry. He then gestured to himself and Mana.

"Wizard." he said as he pointed to himself while he was holding his wand. Mana nodded.

"Harry-wizard." she said with some confidence. Harry nodded as he gave his wand for Mana to hold. He then gestured to Mana and said,

"Witch."

"Mana-witch." she said. Harry grinned. Mana was getting smarter as the days rolled by. Taking his wand back, he pointed to himself and gestured to Mana.

"Wizard." was her shaky but sure reply. Harry nodded, and gave his wand back to Mana. She held it with a slight smile as he gestured to her.

"Witch." she said with some playfulness in her voice.

"Good, Mana." said Harry, genuinely feeling happy with the results. He remembered the DA last year, and the proud streak he felt when the members accomplished their tasks. Harry spent the next 20 minutes showing Mana some of his magical things. Mana smiled happily as Harry pointed out some of his magical possessions. It was if she was discovering an unknown part of herself, and considering that it was Harry how got her into this mess in the first place, he couldn't be happier for her. Then, Harry's watch hit 1:00. The doorbell of the Dursley residence chimed.

"Blaise is here, Mana!" cried out Harry. He stopped his explanation of his Firebolt and dragged Mana to the front door, much to her frustration.

"Ha-rry!" she groaned as soon as the two reached the front door. Opening it, Harry greeted his guest.

"Hello, Blaise…err, and, uhh…" The black haired, blue eyed Slytherin girl, dressed in a snazzy sweater and knee length skirt, was accompanied by two people behind her, a man and a woman. The man, who was sporting shoulder length black hair with grey streaks, had a very cunning look in his calculating grey eyes. He was tall, featured aristocratic facial features like a goatee and sharp jaw line and cheek, and was slightly built. Dressed in an expensive looking black muggle business suit, he looked very professional, almost cool. The woman, who had shiny black hair that reached her waist, looked far different. Her blue eyes radiated an almost playful aura, which went along well with her round, friendly face. The woman was of medium height and was quite slim, making her look quite pretty. She wore a white muggle blouse and black business skirt. They looked quite different (in terms of expression), yet the man did have a comfortable arm around the woman's waist.

_They must be Blaise's parents_

"Hello, Harry." greeted Blaise in a friendly manner. She gestured to the two behind her.

"These are my parents. Mother, father, this is my acq…friend," she corrected herself, "Harry Potter."

Mrs Zabini looked surprised for a moment, but resumed her playful expression. Mr Zabini gave Harry a look over, and nodded.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry." said Mrs Zabini. "My name is Nirvana Zabini, and this is my husband Alfredo. My daughter has told me about your, well, current situation, and I wish you all the best success."

"Thanks, Mrs Zabini. It's a pleasure to meet you and Mr Zabini." replied Harry, remembering his manners.

"Likewise." replied Mr Zabini. He seemed to be analysing Harry, as he was looking at the scar faced boy and was muttering under his breath. Harry strained to hear what he was saying.

"Hmm…heir of the Potters…quite wealthy…respectable blood…noble young man…I wonder…"

"Uhh, this is Mana, Mr and Mrs Zabini." said Harry, introducing the golden eyed girl who was standing next to him. Blaise's mother hugged Mana warmly, while her father grunted a polite 'hello' as he continued his examinations.

"Don't mind my husband. He gets lost in his own little world sometimes, but he's really nice." explained Mrs Zabini. Blaise followed up.

"Yeah, my father can be weird sometimes, but he only has the best intentions in his heart." she said. Mr Zabini whispered something to his wife's ear, who looked at Harry with some curiosity.

"Anything I can help you with, Mrs Zabini?" asked Harry. He hoped that he didn't make a bad impression.

"Just one question."

"Sure."

"Are you a virgin?" Harry's eyes bugged out as Blaise slapped her hand to her forehead. Harry couldn't tell whether the awkwardness of the situation came from the nature of the question, or the fact that Mrs Zabini looked like she had just asked for the time.

"I…err…I am." stuttered Harry. Nirvana smiled happily as she nudged her husband, who nodded shrewdly in return.

"That…is good to hear, Harry." answered Alfredo, whom Harry could've sworn had a glint in his eye. "Well, we won't keep you, take good care of our daughter, you hear? And we'll be back by 6:00; Blaise has already eaten in case you didn't know."

"Err…right." Harry was still feeling incredibly embarrassed.

"Then, we'll be off. Come, my dear, there is a muggle tea shop called 'Starbucks' that we should try." He beckoned his wife to follow him.

"You kids be good!" cried Mrs Zabini jovially. "Remember, a twosome's a party, but a threesome's a crowd!"

Harry's face turned blood red as the Zabini matriarch and patriarch wondered away. Blaise shook her head.

"My parents, as you can see, can be a little strange. Don't mind them, Harry."

Harry led the two lovely young ladies into the lounge room of the Dursley household. Blaise's eyes strayed towards Harry's stash of library books.

"You come prepared, Harry." she remarked. Harry nodded.

"Yeah, well I need to get a start on things. Blaise, could you read these books with Mana? I gave her a Literati potion so she can read and write, but she still needs knowledge."

"I can do that, Harry." replied Blaise confidently, "Since I can speak several languages, I'll try to help Mana to be able to string a simple sentence together."

"I'd like that, thanks Blaise."

"The pleasure is all mine, Mr Potter. Now, what will you be doing?"

"I'm off to Diagon Alley, I need to buy some things for my plan."

"I see. Well, I just hope you get back before I need to leave."

"I will. I only need to buy a few things for my training."

Blaise cast a critical eye over Harry. He wasn't quite the Golden Gryffindor, as the other Slytherins painted him as. Rather, he was acting almost like a Slytherin – he wasn't telling his supposed mentor Professor Dumbledore of his plans, and he didn't seem to have any qualms in making Hagrid lie about his situation to his 'friends.' As well as that, he didn't live in a mansion, dotted on by servants like Draco Malfoy claimed. Finally, now that she had a good chance in getting to know the green eyed boy, he didn't seem as arrogant and big headed as Professor Snape says. Intrigued by the Boy-Who-Lived's behaviour, Blaise decided she wanted some answers.

"Harry."

"Hmm?" Harry was in the process of putting his wand, Ho-Oh's feathers and some galleons in his pocket. Blaise cast one look at Mana (who was sitting down on the couch, looking at Blaise with some familiarity), before launching her question.

"Why?" Harry was caught unaware.

"Huh?" Blaise wasn't deterred

"I know why you are taking care of Mana, seeing that she used to be your owl, but why are you training so hard? Are you trying to fight He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named? Shouldn't you be telling Dumbledore about this?" Harry's eyes turned into an angry green tone for a moment, surprising Blaise, before it regained its normal lustre. He sighed as he pulled his hand out of his jean pocket and gave her an answer.

"Do you want to know why I am so intent on doing this, Blaise?" he said somewhat harshly, "I am doing this to avenge the death of a man, whom I had come to love like a brother and father, whom I had a part in sending to his doom. Although it was his cousin that struck the killing blow, I felt that the man wouldn't have to die if it wasn't for me. But I do not pity myself anymore. I have awakened to the truth that we can spend our lives in misery or we can honour the memory of those we love. I choose to live for the man who gave his life for me, and to ensure that his sacrifices, every last one, will not be in vain." Harry looked away as he said this. Blaise was breathless with interest.

"Who is this man, Harry?" Again, Harry's eyes turned somewhat harsh for a moment.

"A man who suffered in Azkaban for 12 years, even though he was innocent. A man who was locked away in his own house by the order of someone he trusted. A man who died to save his godson. His name is Sirius Black." Blaise gasped so strongly that even Harry was shaken from his angry tone. He locked eyes with Blaise, and was surprised to see utmost shock in her Blaise's blue eyes.

"What's wrong?" Mana also seemed to sense something wrong, and she tried to put a reassuring hand on Blaise's arm. She was still for a moment, before she looked down in despair.

"Uncle Sirius…was innocent?" she breathed, her breaths leaving her in ragged gasps, "All this time…he was innocent? How…how could he…for all these years, he was innocent…" Harry looked surprised, then upset.

"You knew Sirius?" he choked out. Blaise nodded sadly.

"He…he was my father's second cousin. My father and Uncle Sirius had the same grandfather. I had some pictures of him, holding me while I was a newborn. I didn't know that he was sent to Azkaban until I was about seven, but when my mom told me about it, I got angry. That my dear Uncle Sirius would join the 'evil wizard.' I grew up hating and resenting that fact." Blaise let a few tears slide down her cheeks, while Harry rubbed his own eyes. She continued, "My father believed him, though. He and his cousin, Aunt Andromeda, believed him when my mother and I did not. I think that is why I have never been that close to my father as I have with my mother. But now, all my hatred was for nothing. I have hated an innocent man that never did anything but show me love and affection." With that, Blaise's cracked mask of indifference broke, and she began to sob, "Uncle Sirius…I'm so sorry…"

Harry was beside himself with even more guilt. It was bad enough that his stupidity had taken Sirius away from Remus. But now, he realised that he had deprived Nymphadora and Andromeda Tonks and Blaise and Alfredo Zabini of a beloved relative.

_Gah…now I feel even worse…its all the more reason to try even harder in my training. I have caused pain for all these people. I will be never be able to relieve them of that pain, but I will sure as hell try to make things right, even a little…_

"Harry…" whispered Blaise softly, "Some…some other time, will you talk to me about Uncle Sirius?" Harry nodded solemnly.

"I will."

Despite Harry's lack of knowledge for the human female, he did understand that Blaise wanted some peace and quiet for the meantime. For a few minutes, the two were motionless, letting their feelings wash over. Then, Blaise raised her head and smiled faintly at Harry.

"Thank you." she said, in a grateful voice, "for telling me the truth."

"You're welcome." Harry stuttered, not used to seeing the normally neutral-faced Blaise smile. _Although_, said the naughty part of his brain, _it's not an unwelcome surprise, right?_ Harry decided it was his turn to ask questions.

"Blaise?"

"Hmm?"

"Why is it that you normally don't act like a Slytherin? I mean, you know Hagrid well enough to be on first name terms, and you seem to be pretty friendly with me as well. Why is that? I thought all Slytherins hate Gryffindors." Blaise frowned at Harry, but not out of annoyance. She seemed to be contemplating her answer.

"Well…we're not all bad, you know. I know Professor Hagrid because Care of Magical Creatures in one of my favourite subjects, alongside Charms. Despite his big appearance I know Hagrid's really a nice person, and although I was a Slytherin he befriended me." she replied casually, "But to answer your question, blood runs thicker than water, you know. House rivalry has lasted so long and for so strong that many Slytherins believe that every other house is against them. Remember our first year, how Gryffindor won those last minute points? Did you see how all the houses were so happy to see us lose?"

"Yeah." said Harry, realisation now dawning on him.

"Well, if you were a Slytherin, what would you think? Look at the attitudes all the other houses have towards us. They think we're all evil, but that's because they never give us a chance. And we don't give them chances because we know how they feel about us. So how could you be friends with another house when they think you're dark?"

Harry nodded, "I understand, but you can't deny that a lot of the Slytherins haven't acted like model wizards and witches."

"Good point." conceded Blaise, "But if no-one wants to befriend you, who else will you turn to? No-one but your own house. As you know, Malfoy, his friends and other children of ex-Death Eaters rule Slytherin. They either go along with them or they become complete outcasts at Hogwarts." Blaise finished bitterly.

"Oh…I never thought of that." mumbled Harry, humbled at this revelation. Due to his upbringing with the Dursleys, he knew what it was like, being an outcast, "This year…I'll try not to be so harsh on the Slytherins..." Blaise stifled a laugh.

"The golden boy of Gryffindor, being friendly with Slytherins?" she asked sceptically, "What is the world coming too?"

"I'll have you know I was almost sorted into Slytherin until I told the hat not to." blurted out Harry without realising his mistake. Blaise looked flabbergasted.

"Are you serious, Harry? You? A potential Slytherin? Hell no!" cried the normally calm Slytherin girl.

"If it wasn't for Malfoy being such a prick I would probably be wearing green instead of scarlet on my robes, you know." replied Harry.

"Oh," murmured Blaise, looking almost disappointed, "I see." She took a look at the clock on the wall, "Well, you should get going, Harry. It's almost 1:30. If you want to get to Diagon Alley and back before 6:00, now would be the time to leave."

"Ok!" said Harry. After making sure he had galleons in his money bag and after putting on a muggle ski cap that belonged to Dudley to hide his hair and scar (he didn't want people to recognise him at Diagon Alley) he made his way to the front door, followed by Blaise and Mana. Harry left with some parting words, "Blaise, I borrowed some books you could use, they're on the kitchen table. If you're feeling hungry, just look around in the cupboard and fridge…"

"I know, I know. Get going Potter, I've got a lot of work to do with my friend here." Blaise said as she nudged Harry out the door. Harry waved as Blaise closed the door.

"See you later, then."

With that, he made his way to the kerb and, making sure no muggles were around, he raised his wand. Suddenly, a massive, triple decker bus materialised right in front of his eyes. The Day Bus. Harry went aboard, paid his fare of 12 sickles, and sat down (while holding onto something). The Day Bus rocketed away from Four Pivett Drive, towards Diagon Alley…

The Day Bus arrived outside the Leaky Cauldron in about 20 minutes. After getting off, Harry made his way to the magical wall that hid Diagon Alley away from muggle eyes. Tapping the bricks, the doorway opened to reveal Diagon Alley. It was bustling with people, even though that the school term hadn't started yet. He did notice, however, that many Aurors were patrolling the area. It seemed that the revelation that Voldemort had returned as finally kicking in, and the Ministry of Magic was finally doing something right, for a change.

_Hmph…I knew that they would find out that I was right in the end. I just hope the Wizarding World will be able to cope with this…On another note, since I have a book bag of requirement, I won't need to buy books for my training, which will save me galleons. I'll buy my school books once I get picked up by the Order._

First things first: Harry made his way to Gringotts Bank. He needed to make a large withdrawal in order to fund his plans. After entering the building, Harry waited a few minutes in the queue until a goblin called for him.

"Next please!" Harry strode towards the goblin.

"How can I help you, sir?" asked the goblin in a monotone voice.

"I'd like to withdraw some money." The goblin looked supremely uninterested.

"Key please." Harry presented his key to the Goblin. The goblin examined the key, and read something on his desk. Harry looked a little apprehensive.

"Is there something wrong?" he inquired. The goblin shook his head.

"No, however, it says here that you are required to see a branch manager to discuss your vault's status. It seems that you are entitled to a will of one Sirius Orion Black."

"Will…?" muttered Harry sadly. By hearing that, in reinforced the fact that Sirius was gone.

"Yes, I will send you there now. Ragnok!" cried the goblin, and another goblin appeared behind the one talking to Harry. "Take Mr Potter to see our manager."

"Right." growled Ragnok. "This way, sir." He motioned to Harry to step on the Gringotts cart. Harry took his key and boarded the cart. Ragnok jumped on, pulled a lever, and away they went. Harry gripped on the cart as it dived into the depths of Gringotts. The cart passed a multitude of vaults (of various), tracks and other carts as it made its way to wherever it was going. Harry noted that the Goblins must have been ingenious to create these underground passages (especially without the muggles knowing all the disturbance of building under the earth). After a hectic ride, the cart stopped in front a solid gold door. Ragnok ushered Harry off the cart and opened the door for him.

"Here is our kacho, or branch manager. He will inform you of the new status of your vault." With that, he bowed to Harry and left. Harry walked through the door and found a very stately looking office, which would've looked similar to a muggle's one. At the back of the room was a goblin sitting behind a table, writing furiously on some parchment. Harry could've sworn he had seen him before.

"Griphook?" he asked surprise. The goblin looked up in shock.

"Sir? Did you call my name?" Harry nodded.

"I'm sorry, you may not remember me but I remember you from six years ago, when you took my to my vault with Rubeus Hagrid. You may not remember me but I'm Harry, Harry Potter" The goblin looked awed.

"A human, not only remembering my name, and from such a long time ago. Well I'll be…"whispered Griphook to himself. He straightened himself and smiled (which to Harry looked like a smirk). "How can I help you, Mr Potter?"

"Ah, yes." said Harry as he took out his key, "Sirius Black left a will for me." He handed the key to Griphook. Griphook examined the key and nodded.

"That is true, Mr Potter. You are the primary benefactor of Mr Black's will. I also offer my condolences for your loss." Griphook looked almost sincere. Harry nodded for him to continue, "Normally, all benefactors of a will must be present when it is read, but seeing as you are the primary benefactor, you may view it at your pleasure. Would you like to view it?" Harry almost choked out an answer. Try as he might, Sirius's death still struck a chord within him.

"Yes…please…" Griphook nodded. He got off his chair and made his way to a large, black cabinet on the side of his room. He laid his hands on the door, traced a pattern on it, and stepped away. The black cabinet opened. Harry strained to look at what was inside, but all he saw was nothingness. Suddenly, a silver glowing ball emerged from the black void. Griphook caught the sphere, and presented it to Harry.

"To activate it, just squeeze it and put it on the floor." Harry nodded. After taking a few steps away from Griphook, he squeezed the sphere (which was quite soft), and placed it on the floor. Immediately, a ghostly image of a man appeared. A man with long black hair, and an almost canine look in his blue eyes. A man who had seen better days, but still retained vestiges of once good looks. A man who had been Harry's godfather.

_Sirius…_ Harry almost wanted shed tears, but held it in. He will avenge his death, he swore it…

The image spoke:

**_I, Sirius Orion Black, heir of the Black Family, do hereby make this will on the 20th of December, 1995. I make this under a sound mind and without outside influence, and hereby declare this will official by the laws of Gringotts bank. _**The image lost it's formal look and Sirius looked normal, almost playful. It was a look that Harry was not used to. Well, apart from the images he saw in the pensieve…**_Well, now that I have done all that formal stuff, now is the time for me to hand out the booty. Yes, I know that if you are viewing this then I have kicked the bucket. I seriously hope I died fighting or in the arms of a beautiful woman. Should the former apply, I hope I died for someone I care for, hopefully it's my beloved godson, Harry. Yeah, if it was Harry, I know you would be beating yourself over this. Well Harry, don't. I knew what I was doing and I don't want you to be suicidal and all just cause I bit the big one. Harry, I've just left for my next great adventure, and I hope we meet again in the far future. Well, I better get started then…_**

**_To my cousin Andromeda Tonks and my niece Nymphadora Tonks, I leave 3,000,000 galleons, my jewellery collection and all my love. Andromeda, you were always so nice to me, and even to this day you are dear to me. You and Alfredo believed in me, which I am eternally grateful for. I am proud to call you my cousin. Tonks, I know you are my niece but your are like the sister I never had. Hurry up and get a boyfriend already, even Ginny's got a headstart on you. Oh, and I helped your mom pick your name. She originally wanted it to be 'Nymph' or something along the lines of that, but I added 'adora' as a joke and it stuck. Heh._**

**_To Remus Lupin, last of the Marauders and my true friend, I leave 10,000,000 galleons, the Black Mansion in Germany and my beach house in Majorca. Moony, old friend, I want to grow old with you but I have a feeling that I won't be around much longer. I know you don't like charity, but you deserve much more than life has given you. You are the nicest man I know and just because you turn into a fuzzball every month doesn't mean you are worth any less. Take care of Harry for me, and yourself, my dear friend._**

**_To Arthur, Molly and the Weasley family, I leave 5,000,000 galleons and ownership of the island of Kranos in Greece, complete with a chateau. Molly, Arthur, I know we sometimes don't see eye to eye but one thing we do agree on is Harry. You gave him love and affection when he had no-one and I am eternally grateful Look after him for me, and I wish you all the best._**

**_To Ronald Bilius Weasley and Hermione Jane Granger, I leave 500,000 galleons each. You two and Harry remind me so much of me and Marauders when we were younger, although I'm sure you'll never beat me and James' detention record, which I think was 2,164. Stay with Harry, you're the best friends Harry could ask for, and take good care of yourselves._**

_**To Alfredo Zabini, I leave 3,000,000 Galleons and my shares in Gringotts Bank. Alfredo, you were the brother I wished I had. I want you to live a good life, but try not to be such a stiff, ok? Please give my love to Nirvana and little Blaise.**_

_**To Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, I leave 7,000,000 galleons and the deed to 12 Grimmauld Place. Albus, you barmy old codger, I've always looked up to you as a mentor and grandfather. When the time comes for you to join me on the next great adventure, be sure to bring tons of lemon drops, ok? I never admitted it, but I loved those things. I hope you will continue to be the light against Voldemort and his cronies, and I hope you can use what I am giving you to that extent. Take care of yourself, you old coot.**_

**_And finally, to my primary benefactor, heir to the Black family and beloved godson, Harry James Potter, I leave you with all the rest of the Black fortune which I think amounts to around 70,000,000 galleons or so, properties which I haven't already mentioned, my personal effects and all the other stuff that's tagged with the Black name. Harry, do not blame yourself for my death, if I died for you. I love you, kiddo, when you were born I was so happy that I had such a wonderful little kid to call as my godson. You are so much like James and Lily, never lose that. Over the brief time we were together I loved like you were my own son, and always will. Take care of your self, Prongslet, and kick Lord Snake-meister's butt for me._**

**_Well, that takes care of all will. All of you, take care of yourselves and live a good life. I love you all, and I seriously hope that when we meet again, it will be in a long time. Until then, I'll be watching over you. Always._**

With that, Sirius' image faded away back into the sphere. Harry wiped his face with his sleeve, to rid himself of his tears. He loved Sirius, almost as much as a father. This will truly confirmed he was dead, but that made all the more determined to fulfil his plans, and his destiny. Taking the sphere, he handed it back to Griphook who placed it back into the black cabinet. He walked back to Harry and asked,

"Do you want to go to your vault, Mr Potter?" Harry nodded, shaking slightly.

"Sure."

Harry and Griphook boarded a cart outside of the office, which sped deeper into the caverns. During the trip, Harry swore he saw some dragons patrolling the area, and also noticed that the vault doors were gradually getting bigger and bigger. Finally, they stopped outside a massive vault numbered '7', with the sign 'Potter'. Harry and Griphook left the cart and approached the door. Harry looked puzzled.

"Griphook, I'm pretty sure this isn't my vault." Griphook shook his head.

"No, it's yours, but it's your family's vault. The vault you had was your trust fund, but since we received word of your emancipation, we are now bound to show you your family's inheritance, which you were not supposed to receive until you 17. We have assimilated your trust fund back into your family's vault. Do you want to take a look and make a withdrawal?" inquired Griphook.

"I do." said Harry. "How do I get in?"

"Just place your hand on the door for a few seconds, and the door will open." informed Griphook..

As soon as Harry did so, the doors faded away. The sight that greet Harry flabbergasted him. Literal mountains of galleons were in the vault. Rare jewels and artefacts were scattered everywhere. Harry was awed by the sheer sight of wealth he now possessed.

"How much do I have, Griphook?" he asked breathlessly.

"We have not made an appraisal of your family's fortune for the last 10 years, but financial wealth alone, I estimate the amount to be in the area of 75,000,000 galleons. This is not including the value of property, holdings and other assets." replied Griphook automatically, "Including the Black fortune, I would say that you are quite possibly one of the richest wizards in Europe."

Harry was gobsmacked. He was loaded! Shaking himself out of his stupor, he noticed a bright green sphere sitting on top of a short column in the vault, very much similar to the sphere containing Sirius' will. He pointed it to Griphook.

"Is that…?" Griphook nodded.

"It is. You may look at it if you wish, Mr Potter." Harry strode over to the column, picked up the sphere, squeezed it, and set in on the ground (which was hard because the floors were littered with coins). To Harry's great shock, two very familiar people materialised. A man with messy black hair, and a woman with fiery hair and green eyes…

"Mom….Dad…." whispered Harry, not believing his eyes. He sunk to his knees as the will was played…

**_Harry…my little baby boy_** whispered Lily Potter, **_If you're viewing this, then that means that me and your father have died. I am so sorry that we did not get a chance to raise you, but know that we died loving and protecting you. You see, the dark lord Voldemort has been after our family, but when you were born, he seemed to place every effort in tracking us down. I guess he succeeded. We were trying to hide ourselves with the Fidelius Charm, but we feel that someone is going to betray us, and we think it's that rat, Peter Pettigrew. We are no longer among the living, but know this Harry, we never stopped loving you. Sweetie, I know I'm going miss you so much, but I will gladly die for you._**

**_My turn, Lily_** said James,**_ Harry, you are my pride and joy. You don't know how happy we were when you were born. I only want the best for you. I hope, now that we are gone, that you are in good hands. If things have gone well, than Professor Dumbledore would have sent you to my best friend and your godfather, Sirius Black. At the time of us creating this, Sirius has been suspected of being a traitor, but we know better. He is a great man, as you know now, and I hope that you love him like a father, because I know he loves you like his own son. And I'm sure you know Remus Lupin, our other close friend. He's a great uncle, huh? You must be in your final year of Hogwarts, right? I hope you are getting good marks, dominating the Quidditch Pitch, wreaking havoc in Hogwarts and scoring with some lovely ladies…OWW! _**(Lily smacked James on the head) **_Don't corrupt him, James! _**(James rubbed his head ruefully) **_Sorry, Lily. Anyway, Harry, no matter happens, I will always be proud of you_** (Lily took over)

**_Right now, Harry, you're sleeping. Oh, I love you so much, I don't want to lose you! But if that is they way fate will run, then so be it. We'd rather die than live a life without you, Harry. Always remember, your father and I love you more than anything in the world. And that will never change. Be well, my son._**

With that, the images disappeared. Harry was on his knees still, frozen at what he had just heard. Griphook wanted to help Harry up, but his goblin instincts told him to stay back. And with good reason too. Harry gripped his head, millions of thoughts running through his mind at once.

_They…they wanted me to stay with Sirius. I was supposed to live with Sirius…that's what they wanted…_

Harry increased his grip on his head, tears flowing out of his eyes. He was shaking all over. He felt something in him begin to…break

_But Dumbledore…he sent me to those Goddamn Dursleys! He sent me there to suffer! And for what? To keep me as a weapon to use against Voldemort!_

Harry rose to his feet, shaking even more profusely. He was on the verge of tearing his hair out in his despair as images assailed his mind. But they weren't memories, rather they were images of what could have been…

**_Sirius, in his animagus form, carrying around an infant Harry while Remus was looking on laughing…_**

_No…_

**_Sirius and Remus was celebrating Harry's 7th birthday, as Harry was about to blow his candles on his cake…_**

_Stop it! That's enough!_ Harry was shaking even harder now. He felt that something in his chest would explode Griphook, from his vantage point, could see golden flashes of light appearing around Harry…

**_Harry waiting on platform Nine and Three Quarters, on his first trip to Hogwarts, while Sirius was fussing around, making sure Harry was ready…_**

_No more! No more! _The light around Harry intensified. He let go of his head and clenched his hands so hard that he drew blood. But he didn't care…he didn't care any more…

_**Harry and Sirius, back at Grimmauld place, talking about school and girls, like a father and son. Sirius placed his hand comfortingly on Harry, telling him not to worry**_

_I…could have had someone to love me..._The light around Harry grew so strong it forced Griphook to cover his eyes.

_I wouldn't have had to starve…_

_I…I wouldn't have had to work tirelessly over the years…_

_I would've had a normal childhood, where I wasn't beaten and insulted…_

_But because of Dumbledore, I was starved!_

_I was used as a slave!_

_I was constantly abused! _Harry felt his entire body burn, the pain in his chest almost unbearable…something was going to give…

_Because Dumbledore controlled my life, I lost everything! My parents wanted me to be happy but Dumbledore interfered! I lost Sirius, and Sirius lost me…_

_In the end, I realised that in exchange for my 'blood protection', I gave up everything. Love, freedom, happiness._

_In the end, I wasn't really living at all…I was better off dead…_

_In the end, I had…nothing…_

And that was when Harry snapped…

"**ARGHHHHHHHHHHHH!"** screamed Harry as his emotions, his heart, his soul, broke. The strain of knowing what might have been, what could have been, overwhelmed him. Upon the crucifix of his soul he screamed the song of a soul that suffered unjustly. The entire vault, indeed, the caverns where shaking. A massive force of energy blew Griphook off his feet, sending him to the ground. Light engulfed the massive Potter vault and rushed out of it, illuminating the whole cavern of Gringotts. For what seemed an eternity, pure power radiated off Harry as he spread his arms and screamed. Louder and louder, it culminated into a heart-wrenching crescendo of despair. Then, within a few moments, the light subsided, the shaking stopped, and Harry fell to his knees, exhausted and heavy-hearted. He felt strange. He felt power flow through his veins. He felt…stronger…

"Mr Potter…Mr Potter…" asked Griphook tentatively, "Are you ok?" Harry looked at him with his bloodshot emerald eyes.

"Griphook…what the hell happened to me?" he gasped. Making sure Harry wasn't going to blow up again, Griphook approached Harry and stood next to him. Harry raised his head wearily to meet Griphook's almost awed gaze. Griphook began his explanation.

"I am no expert on wizard life cycles, but it seems that you have awakened, Mr Potter."

"Awakened? What do you mean by that?"

"Well, according to research done by wizards and witches, they have concluded that some wizards and witches have far stronger magical potential than a normal magical being. There is a certain cut-off in magical power, and they dub the people who surpass it as Sorcerers and Sorceresses. However, although Sorcerers are rare, even less awaken. As you know, as a wizard grows his or her power increases and builds up. Sorcerers develop greater power than a normal wizard, and it shows when they master complicated spells or cast spells powerfully."

"Like me and my patronus charm, my ability to throw off the Imperius…" muttered Harry, so that Griphook didn't hear. Griphook continued.

"However strong a sorcerer may be, that is nothing. They have not released their true power, and until they do they are using only 10-25 percent of their total power. Something needs to be used to unleash their magical potential, and the only way to do it is for the wizard to feel an emotion so strong that it releases the mental bonds constricting that sealed power. You, Mr Potter, must have felt such emotion hearing that will that your mental bonds restraining your power shattered, so to speak." informed Griphook.

"Yeah…I felt so frustrated when I realised that if it wasn't for Dumbledore's interference, I would've had a happy life…" Griphook threw Harry a weird look.

"I…see, Mr Potter. However, you may be interested to know that Albus Dumbledore himself is a sorcerer."

"He is?"

"Yes. I believe that his power awakened when the Dark Lord Grindelwald murdered his mother and father in front of him." Harry blinked, but then nodded.

"I see. So what, now I'm stronger?" he asked, almost bitterly. Griphook took notice of this, but answered the question,

"Yes, you are now magically more powerful. How much so, I am not sure. Also, since those mental bonds releasing your power have broken, you should be able to think more clearly and critically now."

"You mean I'm smarter?" asked Harry bluntly.

"Yes, Mr Potter."

Harry sighed wearily. He mused that he would never be normal. He stood up.

"Griphook, all I want to take from this vault is the will as well as some gold. Can I do that?"

"Yes, this is now all yours to do as you please." Harry smiled slightly, despite the past few revelations.

"Great. Say, Griphook, does Gringotts sell transporting Moneybags of Requirement, by any chance?"

"We do, and if you purchase one, you'll never have to withdraw gold here in person again. Do you want to buy one now?"

"Yes, please."

"Then, we'll need to make our way back up to the lobby."

Harry and Griphook left the vault, with his parent's will secured in his pocket. They took a long but uneventful cart ride back to the lobby, where Griphook led him to a private office. There, Harry purchased his Moneybag of Requirement.

"…So, it will cost you 50 Galleons up front, plus we charge a flat 30 Galleon fee per month. Is that acceptable, Mr Potter?"

"That's fine." said Harry, looking a whole lot calmer than he did during the awakening in his vault, "Please take the up-front cost out my vault. And how do I use it?"

"Easy. The bag has been charmed using Goblin magic to recognise the owner's magical aura, so no-one but you can take galleons out of it. Simply think of the amount galleons you need, or say it out loud if it troubles you, and either take the coins out by hand, or tip them out. For larger purchases, you can directly transfer galleons into the shop's vault. Put your hand in the bag, state the name of the shopkeeper, amount of galleons to be transferred and the reason and it will be done automatically by Gringotts."

"That's pretty simple. Is that all, Griphook?" Griphook shook his head

"One more thing - you can withdraw muggle money the same way. And because you're the first customer to buy a Moneybag of Requirement in a while, I'll also throw in a Muggle credit card, free of charge. They-" Harry cut him off."

"I know how they work, Griphook." Griphook grinned; he obviously was relieved at not having to explain how a credit card worked.

"Very well, Mr Potter, that's all. Is there anything else you need?" Harry stuffed his new Moneybag and credit card in his pocket, and shook his head.

"No, I'm ok. Thanks for everything, Griphook." The goblin cracked a small smile (which still looked like a smirk)

"You're welcome, Mr Potter. Gringotts appreciates your patronage."

Harry left Gringotts, feeling slightly happier considering the events that had transpired. He looked at his watch and saw that it was already 2:30. He decided to take a small break. He headed over to Florean Fortescue's ice cream shop, where he bought himself a large vanilla and chocolate sundae with his new moneybag. As he ate his morsel, he cast a thought on what had happened. Due to his 'improved' mental capacities, several pieces of puzzles fell into place, especially on thoughts that he had about the events that happened on his third year. His insides pulsed with rage when realisation dawned on him.

_I…I hate you, Dumbledore. Not like how Tom hates you, I don't want to kill you, but considering all that happened, I don't think things will ever be the same. You already lied to me about the prophecy, that was bad enough. But condemning me to the Dursleys when my parents wanted me to go with Sirius, how can I ever trust you again? Voldemort isn't the only thing that can kill in this world, you know. Ever heard of starving to death? Sigh, at least I got to see my parents and Sirius again, even if they were just images…_

"Arry!"Harry turned and grinned, seeing Hagrid come up to him and take seat (an extra large one) next to him, "How 'ave you bin, eh?"

"Ok, I guess," said Harry neutrally. As much as he trusted Hagrid, he didn't want anyone to know that he had awakened yet, "Hey, how did you know it was me?" Hagrid shrugged and said he knew his face well enough to recognise him while his scar was hidden, and did seem to pick up on Harry's mood..

"Somethin' troublin' you, 'Arry?" Hagrid asked kindly. Harry was about to make an excuse when Hagrid continued, "It's Hedwig, ain't it?"

"Yeah, that's right." said Harry, relieved that he didn't have to lie to his first friend. Hagrid smiled jovially,

"Well, ya don't hav ta worry about not havin' an owl anymore, 'Arry!" said Hagrid happily, as he drew two packages from his massive coat, a bag with some books and generic bird feed in it and an elegant velvet box. He gave them to the stunned Harry, "I was gonna send 'em to you on yer birthday, but seein' as you're here, consider 'em an early birthday present!"

"Hagrid…thank you!" smiled Harry gratefully, "What is it?" Hagrid pointed to the box. Harry opened it, and gasped as he saw a magnificent, shiny, sapphire blue egg within it. It seemed to radiate an aura of coldness.

"What is this, Hagrid!" Hagrid grinned

"It's a replacement for Hedwig, 'Arry. When it 'atches, read 'em books ta see how to take care of yer new bird. But to keep it a surprise, don't read the books till the egg 'atches. I think you'll be pretty 'appy."

"Wow…" with that, Harry got up and hugged his half-giant friend. Hagrid blushed and grinned sheepishly,

"Eh…it's ok, 'Arry. I 'ope you enjoy yer new bird. I'm sure Mana would like it." Harry thought of something when Mana's name was mentioned.

"Hey, Hagrid, could I ask you something?"

"Name it, 'Arry."

"I want to take Mana to Hogwarts." Hagrid blinked.

"Blimey! Is she magical?" Harry nodded, and explained how he found out that Mana had magical powers.

"Well, that's a surefire sign. I gotta talk ta Dumbledore, though." said Hagrid. Harry hissed at the mention of Dumbledore's name, but Hagrid didn't notice. He interrupted Hagrid, however, when Hagrid stood up.

"Wait! Hagrid, I don't want Dumbledore to know everything about Mana, because it'll blow the cover of my plan!' said Harry hastily, "For example, he doesn't know I've emancipated myself and can do magic." Hagrid looked sternly at Harry.

"I won't lie to him, ya know." Harry nodded quickly.

"I know, I just want you to tell Dumbledore certain aspects, from a certain point of view."

"Fine then, 'Arry." conceded Hagrid. If he had been paying more attention, Hagrid would've caught the venomous tone in Harry's voice when mentioned Dumbledore's name. Harry (with the two packages under one arm) and Hagrid walked over to Florean Fortescue and asked him if they could use his fireplace for a fire-call. The kindly ice-cream seller agreed and led them to a room with a fireplace. When they arrived there, Harry told Hagrid what he would say to Dumbledore.

"I gotcha., 'Arry." Hagrid took out some fire-call powder when Harry bolted out of the room.

"'Arry!" Harry shook his head.

"I don't want Dumbledore to know I'm here."

Hagrid nodded sadly at Harry's behaviour, then threw some powder into the fireplace. He then cried out, "Albus Dumbledore!"

Immediately, Albus Dumbledore's head appeared in the flames. His half moon glasses looked slightly loose and his long beard dishevelled, but otherwise looked quite happy at the sight of Hagrid. Harry, however, was outside the room although he was listening in.

"What can I do for you, Rubeus?"

Hagrid then told Dumbledore a 'modified' version of the finding of Mana. How Harry found a girl under the 'disillusionment' charm in the Dursley yard, how the Dursleys were gone, how Mana couldn't talk or understand people, how Harry was taking care of her and most importantly, how he wanted her to go to Hogwarts. Dumbledore seemed to buy the story.

"Hmm…it seems that young Harry is undertaking quite a responsibility here."

"That's true, Professor, but ya know Harry, and he's older than 'e really is."

"Yes, I must agree with you on that point, he has suffered quite a lot in his life."

_Yes, most of said suffering because of your meddling, you manipulative old bastard_ thought Harry vindictively.

"I am happy to welcome this Miss Mana into Hogwarts. She will undertake the same classes as Harry, and during the afternoon and night will take evening classes with Madam Hooch." said Dumbledore with a nod. Outside, Harry grinned. The old fool was finally doing something good for him for once.

"'Arry will be delighted, sir." Dumbledore's pleasant expression then went serious.

"One question though, Rubeus." If Hagrid was nervous, it didn't show.

"Wha' is it, sir?"

"Why didn't Harry owl me directly? Nothing on you, Rubeus, but since I am the Headmaster, wouldn't have it been easier for him to tell me without having to bother you, Rubeus?" asked Dumbledore with an air of suspicion.

"Well… I s'ppose that with Hedwig gone with 'er mate, he couldn't owl ya, sir."

"Right, but couldn't have he asked his friends to do so? I did allow them to OWL him this summer…"

_Oh, what an honour you bestowed upon me, headmaster!_ sneered Harry mentally

"…but he has not written once to me. I am afraid that the rift between me and Harry has grown." said Dumbledore sadly, looking older than ever. Hagrid did some quick thinking.

"Well, ya know abou' me an' Grawpy, right sir?"

"Yes, I know Rubeus." said Dumbledore, and there was a tone of humour in his voice.

"Anyhow, I think tha' maybe 'Arry thought he coulda relate ta me, since we're in the same boat. Ya know, with somebody in our care, who can' talk and all." Dumbledore still looked somewhat wary, but seemed to accept that reason.

"I see. Well, if you do see Harry, please tell him that I send my fondest regards. Tell him that if he would like someone to talk to, I will always be there for him. Well, until next time Rubeus." With that, Dumbledore's face vanished from the fire. Hagrid wiped his sweaty forehead and motioned for Harry to come in.

"Whew…tha' was close, 'Arry."

"Well, that was some quick thinking on your part, Hagrid. Once again, thanks a lot."

"Not a problem." Hagrid tucked his coat in, "I gotta go, 'Arry. Remember, don't read 'em books till the bird hatches, and more importantly, have a very early but Happy Birthday!" After the two said their goodbyes, Hagrid left Fortescue's property and walked down Diagon Alley, whistling to himself. Harry, however was supposed to go shopping for some duelling robes but another shop pulled his attention.

Quality Quidditch Supplies. Oh, he couldn't resist.

Harry entered the shop with a longing for his beloved Firebolt, which he supposed was still locked up at school. The shop was packed with teenagers to young men checking out the brooms. In fact, a rather large crowd blocked Harry's vision of the right side of the store. To his great surprise the owner of Quality Quidditch Supplies seemed to recognise Harry with the ski cap because he walked up to him, tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, "Mr Potter." Harry almost jumped out of his clothes.

"How did you…?" The owner, a middle aged man with balding brown hair, grinned.

"I'm sorry, it seemed that you wanted to go incognito but I know your face from the pictures on the Daily Prophet and the Quibbler. I would have left you alone, but there is a reason why I need to talk to you."

"What is it?" asked Harry curiously.

"This." And with that, the shopkeeper walked behind the counter, grabbed something, and walked to Harry. It was a broomstick, and it looked a lot like a…

"A Firebolt!" The shopkeeper's grinned widened even more as he presented it to Harry.

"Yes…a Minerva McGonagall managed to come across one of her student's broomsticks, who had left it at school. She decided to have it checked and maintained by us, before asking us to send it to her student when he returned to school. But what a surprise! That same student comes to my store to get it early!" Harry's eyes widened.

"Is that…my Firebolt!" Harry stroked his beloved broom almost lovingly, one of the keepsakes he had from Sirius.

"Sure is. Professor McGonagall already paid for the maintenance, so you can take it home now!"

"Thanks! Harry's attention was drawn to crowd on the right, "By the way, why is there a big crowd there?"

"Ahh!" said the shopkeeper, "That is because new lines of the Firebolt racing broom have just been released!"

"There are new ones already!" exclaimed Harry. The shopkeeper shook his head.

"Not exactly brand new. I'll show you." The shopkeeper ordered the crowd to part (they did so grudgingly) and Harry feasted his eyes on the forbidden fruits of all brooms that were hanging on the wall. The shopkeeper gave Harry a commentary on the brooms.

"There, the broom with the brown mahogany handle and gold twigs, is the standard Firebolt, known the as the Type-N Original, it is well balanced for any type for position in Quidditch. That's the one you've got right now. The broom to its left, the one with the blue and white handle, is the Firebolt Type-R Acrobat. It's not as fast as the other models, but is has far superior turning and brake force. The Acrobat has a special function, notice the trigger on the end of the broom? If it is pressed, the flier can change the position his broom is facing without changing the direction or speed of the broom. When the flier lets go of the trigger, his broom will then move in the direction that his broom is now facing. Talk about sudden turns! It's excellent for Keepers and Chasers, who deal with a stationary Quaffle.

The broom to the right of the Type-N, the one with the red and white handle is the Firebolt Type-S Turbo. This model sacrifices manoeuvrability for its powerful acceleration and top speed. I believe its normal top speed is 185 mph, but notice the special pedals on the broom? If you hold them down and press the trigger, yes it's got a special function as well, it activates a powerful boosting charm, allowing the speed to hit a possible 230 mph. Fast huh? Beaters and Seekers, who deal with moving bludgers and snitches, are best for these.

But these new brooms don't compare to the ultimate Firebolt up there. See that broom with the black and silver handle? In my opinion, that is the greatest broom ever created. That is the Firebolt Type-X Zero. It outperforms every other broom in existence. Yes, it is more stable than a Type-N, can outmanoeuvre a Type-R and can outrun a Type-S. Incidentally, it also features both special features of the Acrobat and Turbo. Only the very best fliers can handle a broom of this calibre."

Harry was literally drooling at the sight of the Zero. He never wanted a broom so badly in his life! He turned to the shopkeeper and asked for the prices of the Firebolts.

"Well, a Firebolt Original is 340 galleons; the Firebolt Acrobat and Firebolt Turbo are both 410 galleons each. The Firebolt Zero can't be bought normally, though." Harry looked at the shopkeeper with indignation. No-one could buy the Zero? Blasphemy! The shopkeeper noticed Harry's look and chuckled heartily.

"What I mean to say that, you need to upgrade your Firebolt into a Type-X, and only a Type-N will do. And it will cost you a lot of money-"

"My Firebolt's a '93 model, does that count!" Interrupted Harry eagerly. The shopkeeper looked at him in amazement.

"Are you serious! Your Firebolt is a first edition production!"

"Yeah, look at it!" Harry showed his broom's registration number, and the shopkeeper swore.

"Damn! It is a first run production! The earlier the model the better when upgrading, so if you upgrade to a Type-X it'll blast the competition apart!" he cried, attracting the attention of some of the shoppers' attention.

"How much!" asked Harry desperately, "I assure you money is no object."

"To upgrade to a Type X, it will cost you 1050 galleons."

"Consider it done!"

Harry and the shopkeeper went to the counter, where Harry put his Moneybag of Requirement to good use. After signing some papers, he handed his Firebolt to the shopkeeper.

"Umm, when will it be ready?"

"In a week or so. Do you want it delivered straight to your house?"

"If it's alright, could you send it to Hogwarts on September the 2nd?"

"Sure thing, Mr Potter."

Harry left Quality Quidditch Supplies with a high note, almost to the point that he had forgotten he had awakened earlier on. It seemed that male Potters could not resist of anything to do with Quidditch. Tucked under his right arm were the packages Hagrid gave him, but in his left hand was a small book called _Flying with Style: A Guide to Official Quidditch Manoeuvres_, which the shopkeeper gave to him free of charge, for being the first person in his shop to purchase the Firebolt Zero. Although Harry was distinctly aware that he was on his way to Mr Olliviander's shop, his attention was focused fully on the words on the page…

_**Suzuki Shadow**_

**_This technique, mastered by the Japanese international team's elite Cloud racer Takeya Suzuki in 1925, was his way of catching up to an opponent faster than himself. This technique draws upon knowledge based on muggle arithmancy ('science'). When a moving object moves behind another, the object trailing is exposed to less air resistance because the object in front is covering the object behind and thus, the trailing object is not affected by drag. 'Science' refers to this phenomenon as entering inside the 'slipstream.' This allows its velocity to increase faster, compared to the object in front. In effect, this may even allow a Quidditch player/Cloud racer trailing an opponent with a superior broom to catch up to his/her opponent or even overtake them, by staying behind them (in their 'shadow') until they've picked up enough speed to make the pass…_**

…**_For seekers, this manoeuvre can be done quite easily. If the opposing team's seeker has a head start on the snitch before you, simply get behind the opponent, let the muggle arithmancy do its magic, and make the pass when you sense that your broom is increasing its speed faster than your opponents. A famous example of this was in the 1980 Quidditch world finals, when the seeker of the Spanish Team Miguel Arguiez and the Korean Team Seeker Jang Soo-Haek constantly battled for the snitch by slipping into each other's 'slipstream' in order to pick enough speed to overtake the other, as they were both flying '79 Vulture Mk IIs. It was Soo-Haek who made the dramatic Suzuki Shadow pass on the 94th minute of the game that allowed him to get in front of Arguiez and catch the snitch, winning the game (diagram right: Soo-Haek making the famous pass) …_**

"Huh?" Before Harry had noticed, he found himself in front of Olliviander's shop. He looked from his reading to catch a breather (and to see where he was) and lo and behold, the shop where he got his wand stood right in front of him. Upon entering, he discovered Mr Olliviander standing behind the counter, polishing one of his creations. Harry coughed slightly to get his attention.

"Ah, Mr Potter, what a surprise to see you in my shop again?" cried the wand maker jovially. Harry sighed; it seemed that old guy was more human than he thought.

"Yes Mr Olliviander, I would like to ask you a big favour."

"What is it?"

"I would like you to make another wand" stated Harry, although he was feeling nervous inside. He supposed Olliviander didn't usually make second wands. Olliviander gave Harry a piercing stare.

"Hmm, interesting, Mr Potter. But you do realise that it is against the wand maker's code to sell another wand to a wizard or witch who already has a wand?" Olliviander replied. Harry looked desperate.

"I understand that, but there's something you need to know." And so Harry explained what had happened when his and Voldemort's wand duelled each other. Priori Incantatem. Olliviander was thunderstruck.

"Are you saying, that when two brother wands meet each turn on each other, it causes the reverse spell effect?" asked Olliviander, breathless with interest. Harry nodded and also told him of the golden thread and phoenix song.

"…And that's what happened, Mr Olliviander. You know that he's after me. Please, I need to be able to fight effectively against him." Harry finished, with a pleading note. Although he knew Olliviander was a good man, he couldn't risk telling him the prophecy. Olliviander considered it.

"Well….I guess you have a special case, Mr Potter. I know that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named does seem to have some sort of vendetta against you. Very well. I shall create a wand for you." Harry cheered mentally, "But it will be difficult. You are a tricky customer, you know. What should I do?" said Olliviander thoughtfully. Harry smirked slightly as he drew one of Ho-Oh's feathers out of his pocket and placed it on Olliviander's counter.

"How about this?" he asked, almost coyly. Olliviander's expression turned to one of utmost amazement.

"What on earth is this, Mr Potter?" he exclaimed as he examined the feather. Harry smiled in triumph. Finally, he'd be one up on the old man!

"This is a tail feather of a rainbow phoenix called Ho-Oh. Ever heard of him?" asked Harry, smirking in a manner similar to Dudley as if he found some candy in his pocket. Olliviander was shaking his head in disbelief.

"Impossible…Ho-Oh, the only rainbow phoenix in the world is merely a legend…can't be…" he muttered. Harry shook his head.

"It's true. Ho-Oh came to me because he thought I was a rainbow phoenix, when in fact I'm actually a rainbow phoenix animagus." Harry didn't mind sharing the information. Olliviander gave Harry and the feather an extremely piercing look. He got quite a surprise (and utter satisfaction) seeing the wise old wand maker's mouth drop like Dudley after doing a push-up.

"Good Merlin, rainbow phoenixes really do exist!" exclaimed as he examined the feather once again. He looked at Harry with a look of almost childlike excitement.

"Mr Potter, you would allow me to make a wand using this feather?" he asked breathlessly. Harry nodded

"Would you please?" he asked, with mock innocence, "Ho-Oh really wanted me to use his one his feathers as a wand core. Kept on reassuring me that it's such a _powerful_ core." Olliviander nodded frantically as he held the feather like it was going to disappear in any moment.

"Oh Mr Potter! What an honour you have granted me! I will make the greatest wand, from a mythical creature that really does exist. I assure you, you will be pleased with the results!" exclaimed Olliviander as he shook Harry's hand. Harry smiled then asked,

"Umm, how much do you think it'll be?" Olliviander gave him a look that suggested he was off his rocker.

"Charge you for letting work on the feather of the legendary Ho-Oh? Never! In fact, I should be thanking you!" cried Olliviander, quivering with excitement. Harry laughed sincerely, seeing the wand maker's enthusiasm. After making arrangements for Olliviander to owl him when the wand was complete, Harry left the store. He was only four steps out when he noticed the shop adjacent to Olliviander's. How could he have missed the sign that had bright, loopy red writing against a yellow background, that said:

Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

Harry's stomach gave a pleasant jolt. He could see the twins! Without a moment's hesitation, he charged into the store. It was, in his opinion, a sort of pleasant pandemonium. The store was organised well, with shelves arranged neatly, each one filled to the brim with wizarding pranks and candy. But what really gave that 'risky' feeling was the bright, explosive signs Fred and George must have created to catch the attention of the customers. Moving diagrams of what the pranks did littered the walls and hung from the ceilings Even the wrapping of the products was brightly coloured and decorated (some of which were even moving slightly, which worried Harry a little). Harry felt that one wrong move and he may just find himself sporting feathers. The shop gave out a 'dangerous but fun' aura. Harry slowly made his way to front counter (making sure he wasn't going to trigger any hidden pranks) and caught sight of dreadlocked black boy…

"Lee!" called out Harry. Lee looked up from the magazine he was reading and smiled at the sight of Harry.

"Well, well, well, look who it is? I'll get the twins right now!" Lee disappeared for a moment through a door behind the counter, and emerged with a pair of read-headed pranksters (who were both holding some kind of textbook) in tow. Lee pointed to Harry.

"Look who's here!" he said. Fred and George got a look, and nodded to each other.

"Dear brother, it would seem that…" Fred began

"Harry Potter has graced our store…" George ended. Nodding again, they ran out to Harry and shook his left arm with vigour (Harry frantically tried to hold on to his packages with his other arm).

"Mate! What are you doing here?"

"But hey, it's nice seeing you, seeker extraordinaire! Harry grinned sheepishly

"It's nice to see you two and Lee here. How's business?" Fred smirked.

"Pretty well actually, considering term hasn't started yet. You'd be surprised with the amount of people in the wizarding world who like the notion of revenge by pranking." George nodded.

"Yeah. We're preparing for the Hogwarts before-the-start-of-term shopping rush. Me and my esteemed brother here are creating and inventing, while Lee over there is our faithful shop manager." Lee grinned.

"And I'm proud of it. Right now, I'm just taking a break while these two." he pointed to Fred and George, "are studying." he said, with a satisfied smirk. Harry gaped. The Weasley twins, studying? Hell no! The twins caught the look.

"Forge, my brother, it seems the fourth member of our board of directors doubts our abilities."

"Agreed, Gred. But he seems misinformed, so we must forgive his current lapse of brain activity." Harry was stumped.

"Huh?" he asked stupidly. Lee explained.

"These two are taking their C.H.A.O.S tests." Harry looked even more confused.

"What on earth is that?" George answered.

"They are the Catastrophically Hard Assessment Of Sorcery tests." he said, "When a wizard does meet the qualifications for a job, they can take this test. Or, if he's completed his training for his job, it's the test used to determine whether the wizard in question is ready to start work."

"We're doing it because you need at least 4 N.E.W.Ts to be able to expand a business into a franchise." said Fred gloomily, "Since we bailed out last year, we need to pass C.H.A.O.S for Magical Economics to compensate. Lee's the brains in our trio, he got 6 N.E.W.Ts and so he runs the store while we study. Oh man, studying for this test is unbearable at times, but we'll get through." Harry nodded knowingly.

"Well, good luck. By the way, can we talk in private, Fred, George…?"

Harry spent 20 minutes explaining to the twins what had happened to him over the past few days while Lee was at the back of the store. He really trusted the twins; they were the older brothers he always wished he had. What was surprising was that the twins were looking at Harry with newfound respect when Harry was done.

"You are living with a girl? Alone? And she's hot? You randy little devil!" exclaimed Fred.

"You got yourself emancipated, and now you're training to defeat You-Know-Who? I smell a badass!" shouted George. Harry blushed.

"Yeah, yeah, I know…anyways…" Harry looked threw a secret look at the twins, "Do you know where I could the shops that would sell the 'stuff' I need?" Fred and George exchanged significant looks and spoke as one (like how they usually do when they were being funny or serious)

"Well, we could tell you…"

"To go to Knockturn Alley, but you'd be taking a risk."

"Still, it's the best place to get your goods; the shops there usually sell wares that you don't usually find in Diagon Alley."

"I'm sure the stuff they have is illegal, but hey, you need it. Just as long as you don't linger…"

Harry nodded. To Knockturn Alley he would go! After exchanging goodbyes with the borderline insane twins (and forcing them to swear not to tell the rest of the Weasleys that he had visited), Harry set off to Knockturn Alley. He found the alley, branching off Diagon Alley. What was weird was that, by the position the entrance of the alley was situated in, taller buildings of Diagon stood nearby. This caused shadows to fall upon the entrance, while sunlight bathed on Diagon Alley buildings. Harry, despite his newfound feeling of power, couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

_Well, I suppose there's no turning back. I made an oath, and I'm going to follow through, no matter what. I will never ever depend on Professor Dumb-and-Dopey to bail me out anymore…_

Harry found himself at the entrance of Knockturn Alley. Despite the courageous mental comment he just made, fear still found its way to Harry's spine. He might have had power, but he couldn't use it to defend himself if someone tried to attack him in the alley. His eyes strayed off to the right, and to his surprise, found a shop situated halfway on Diagon Alley territory, and half on Knockturn Alley territory. It was called _Asmodeus' Artifact Agora_. The shop's walls and sign were in purple and grey, but the windows were tinted black, so you couldn't see what was inside. For some reason, Harry's gut feeling told him this shop was going to be his best bet. Tightening his grip on his two packages, he opened the rickety door in front of the shop, and stepped inside. Had Harry taken the time to turn around and look he would've noticed the eyes of the people passing the shop slid past it, from the entrance of Knockturn Alley to the building next door, as if it never existed…

Harry was utterly fascinated by the shop. Items he could not recognise were placed on one of the many counters around the shop, shelves were filled to the brim with tomes, diagrams of wizards performing magic hung on the wall, but most importantly, Harry could not help but feel a surge of magic in the shop, the hairs on his skin standing up. Oh, and colour purple seemed to be very popular with the decorations. No one was in the shop, save for a wizard standing behind the main counter. He, like the shop, was dressed in purple robes. His eyes were also of a curious violet colour, which contrasted greatly to his long white hair and elegant beard. Although he was clearly old, the saleswizard has an aura of great wisdom emanating from him, and Harry could not help but feel that he had met this wizard before. The wizard cast his eyes on Harry and smiled.

"May I help you, young man?" Harry nodded.

"Umm, I would like to some magical items, things that might be in…well, taboo with wizarding society." replied Harry apprehensively. The wizard laughed.

"Well, you seem to have no qualms in wanting these 'items' of yours, and that's all that really matters, right?" asked the wizard kindly. Harry nodded again, feeling braver. The wizard gestured for him to continue.

"Well, I would really like duelling robes. Not the kinds that you can get from the shops, I was thinking of high powered robes that would be worth a fortune."

"Well, do you know how defensive robes work, my young friend?" asked the wizard. Harry shook his head sheepishly.

"Well, normally you would have a robe of any sort material made to fit you, depending on what you find comfortable. But what is important is that parts of magical creatures are fused onto the robe, thus giving the magical protection against spells in general, although stronger spells might not be affected. As well as this, the creature whom you got the part from will provide additional abilities to your robe. For example, if you fuse giant's hair with their blood onto your robe, as well as normal protection, your robe would be all but immune to low level duelling spells like the _Stupefy_, since giants themselves are resistant to stunners." Harry, with his improved mind, understood the point the wizard was trying to make.

"So…in other words, the defensive power of a robe doesn't determine the value, but rather, the creature whose parts you used?" The wizard nodded.

"You catch on pretty fast. So, do you want to buy duelling robes off me?" Harry gave a few seconds to think. He wanted robes, yes, but he wanted something far stronger than what typical magical creatures could provide.

"Umm, could I commission you to make me a custom set of robes?"

"I'm sorry; I…don't do that kind of thing. Rather, though, I can sell you a ready made robe, and you can fuse the magical parts on yourself." said the wizard apologetically. Harry perked with interest.

_Hmm…if I master my Rainbow Phoenix form, I can use my feathers as the ingredient. Or…I could use my…other form…_

"I'm interested." said Harry, "How do I do it?"

"Quite simple, my young friend. When you have the un-modified robes, simply place the magical ingredient on the robe, cast the fusion spell with the incantation _Ki Tai no Ichi_, and you have your robe." replied the wizard.

"Magical ingredient? Don't you mean ingredients? As in, how many, say, phoenix feathers would I need to make duelling robes?" asked Harry in confusion. The wizard chuckled.

"My boy, consider how many people in the world, not just students, use dragon hide as protection. If we had to kill dragons for hide that would could actually physically cover clothing, then they would be all instinct. No, you simply need, say, one phoenix feather or one 3x3 inch patch of dragon hide to have enough to cover a robe for 6ft man." Harry looked relieved.

_Wait…does that mean…I could use my Condemned Dementor form? Since it's so powerful and dark, I'm guessing it would give ultimate protection against Death Eaters. It would be a lot better than rainbow phoenix feathers…_

"Mr Shopkeeper…" began Harry, "what part of a dementor would you need to fuse onto robes?" If the wizard was surprised at this question, he didn't show it.

"Well, although rare, the dementor's robe would be the item you would need." Harry was confused.

"Huh? Isn't that a man-made material? How is that magical?"

"Not true. A dementor's robe is actually its second skin. When a dementor is initially 'created' from those despaired, dead souls, it is weakest because it has no protection. You could destroy a newly formed dementor with a simple Reducto Curse. However, the despair within the soul leaks out of the body of the dementor and hardens into a solidified form, which is what we call the dementor's robe. I believe this 'second' skin is immune to just about anything but the darkest of dark arts, unforgivables, high level tetramancy and necromancy."

"Wow…"

"Yes, isn't it? The only way to kill a dementor is to remove its robe, then attack. But no-one's ever been close enough to a dementor to remove the skin physically, and you can't do it with normal spells as they will just be deflected. But if you do it, then the dementor is helpless."

_Perfect…once I master my dementor form, I can use its robe…_

"How long does it take for a dementor to regrow a robe?"

"I'm not sure, but I'd say a few days at most, since I've never seen a dementor without one." The wizard fixed his violet eyes onto Harry's, anyone would considering what Harry just asked, but made no comment.

"Ok then, I would like to buy four each of your best ready made robes, tops and pants, then." stated Harry. The shopkeeper nodded; he went to the back of the store, and returned with a pile of black, silky clothes in his hand. He managed to fit them into a feather-light bag and presented it to Harry.

"Hey, how do you know my size?" The shopkeeper smiled mysteriously.

"I simply do, trust me. Anything else?"

"I also want to fix my eyesight." said Harry, pointing to his glasses. The shopkeeper reached for under the counter, and withdrew a tightly sealed flask of silver liquid, which he then added into the feather-light bag.

"Although quite expensive and hard to make, this Occulus Repairo potion will fix any eyesight."

"I also need a time modifying device, like a time turner or something." said Harry, remembering how Hermione in her third year, used a time turner to allow her to take more classes than time would allow. Voldemort had more than 50 years on him in experience, so he needed to close that gap as much as possible. To his disappointment, the shop keeper shook his head.

"I am afraid I don't have such an item. But I have something much better." Again, the shopkeeper reached under the counter and withdrew an item. It looked like a muggle puzzle called the Rubix Cube, since it was a square prism and had many colours on it. Harry looked on with interest.

"What is that?"

"A Time Distorter. It only works if you're in a room that is closed. You activate by pressing that small green square twice. What happens is that the room you're in seals itself with the power of time, so nothing, and I mean nothing, can get through. Time is distorted in the room, a week would pass in the sealed room for every hour that passes in normal time. Although you do not age, or experience human needs like hunger or sleep, I advise you do not spend more than seven hours of real time per day, meaning seven weeks, with the Time Distorter activated, or you could go crazy." Harry's green eyes shone in excitement. Talk about a diamond in the rough!

"I'll buy that too." The shopkeeper shrugged and placed the item in the bag.

"Is that all?" he asked. Harry nodded.

"That's it. How much?" The shopkeeper shrugged indifferently.

"Oh, why don't we make it 400 galleons, young man?"

"Done." With that, Harry used his moneybag of requirement to transfer the funds. "Thanks for everything, sir."

"No problem." replied the shopkeeper lightly, "By the way…_Finite Incantatem!_" The shopkeeper suddenly drew out his wand, and fired the spell at Harry's ski cap, although the light pierced it and struck Harry's hair. Harry was caught off guard, but didn't feel any sort of harm.

"What was that for!" he cried out. The shopkeeper tutted.

"Well, forgive my sudden action, but I couldn't help myself. I sensed that a powerful spell was placed on you, and now I know it is true. Somebody placed a 'change-me-not' charm on your hair. From what I suspect, it was from a wand with strong transfiguration powers." Harry smiled to himself

_Strong transfiguration? Oh, I get it. Dad, you kidder…_

"Oh, I see. Well, thanks again, sir." Harry gathered his belongings and left the store. The shopkeeper, however, smiled even more when Harry left.

"Take care, Harry. I can see great things are destined for you. I'm sure the items I gave you, plus my bookbag of requirement, will come in handy…"

Once Harry was clear from the store, he checked the time. 5:30. He had completed his shopping and it was time to go home. He left Diagon Alley and caught the Dusk Bus back to Little Whinging. He was the only passenger. During the trip, however, something miraculous happened. He was currently looking at the egg that Hagrid had gave him, admiring the beautiful azure shell, and was about to close the box it was in when he heard a cracking noise. Faint, but audible. He looked down, and watched as the sapphire coloured egg cracked and shattered. From it, emerged a bird, small and dishevelled with some blue fluff on it, but it opened its tiny and let out a beautiful sounding chirp.

_Wait a minute? That sounded similar to…Fawke's song. Dear Merlin! I've got a phoenix! Hagrid, you're bloody amazing!_

Harry opened the second bag Hagrid gave him, the one with books and bird feed, and the titles confirmed his suspicions. One of them was, How to take care of ice phoenixes. Harry was almost overcome with joy. He looked at the tiny phoenix, which stared back at Harry with its bright grey eyes. He stroked the bird's forehead tenderly, and it trilled a soft, sweet melody for Harry. The little phoenix gave Harry the look of utter adoration.

"What should I call you, little guy?" The phoenix gave a sharp thrill, which Harry seemed to understand the meaning of. "Fine then, little girl, what's it going to be?" He racked his mind for a good name, and found it.

"How about Aurora?" The little phoenix tilted its head to the side, and chirped joyfully. It seemed to like the name! After singing joyously for few moments, it closed its tiny eyes and seemed to fall asleep. Harry kept the box near him as he started to read How to take care of ice phoenixes…

_**Ice Phoenixes are the rarer cousins to the Fire Phoenix that most people in the world know of. There is a ratio of 1:6 Ice to Fire phoenixes in the world…Ice phoenixes are similar to Fire Phoenixes in that they are reborn when they reach the end of their life, but instead of a burning day, they have a freezing day. The Ice phoenix will cover itself with ice, and when the time is right, the ice will shatter, leaving the phoenix in its 'newly hatched' form…**_

…**_Ice Phoenixes, like their counterparts, are very loyal familiars, to the point of death. Their tears do not heal wounds, but rather rejuvenate strength, so a person about to drop dead from exhaustion will be back onto their feet running with drop of Ice Phoenix tears…They can also ice-teleport and when it has established a link with its master, it can communicate mentally. Many other powers are available to the Ice Phoenix, turn to page 14 for more detailed information…_**

Harry smiled fondly at the little creature as it dozed. The Dusk Bus finally reached Little Whinging, and Harry and his new charge got off. With one hand holding the Aurora in her box, and the other holding Hagrid's books and his own purchases, he made his way to 4 Pivett Drive, and rang the doorbell by mashing his nose against the button.

"Coming, Harry!" That was Blaise' voice. The door opened, and standing there to greet him was Blaise and Mana. Blaise took a look at the things in Harry's hand and slyly remarked,

"So, you've been busy shopping, Harry." Harry nodded ruefully as he walked into Dursley house and set Aurora and the other packages down. He looked at Blaise and more importantly, Mana. The owl-turned-girl, wearing her white shirt and jeans, seemed to be looking quite nervous. Harry, with his heightened intuition, knew something was up.

"What's up, girls?" Blaise nudged Mana gently, and the golden eyed girl lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Come on, Mana, do it just like I taught you." encouraged Blaise softly. Mana nodded, looking quite red in the cheeks. She strode over to Harry and gave Harry a bone breaking hug that only Hagrid could rival. She then blurted out, in a shaky voice,

"Harry…welcome home!" Upon hearing this, Harry returned the hug and grinned widely.

"Hello to you too, Mana!" The two let go and Harry gave an admiring look at Blaise.

"She can talk!" Blaise shook her head.

"Not yet. That's the only phrase she can say without choking, and that's because I drilled it into her head." Mana drooped her head in embarrassment. She seemed to understand the connotations behind the statement.

"How is she?"

"Well, she's done pretty well for someone who can't talk full stop. I've taught her to recognise objects, I think she can name any object in the house," reported Blaise, "We had a lot a fun, she was learning how talk, and I got to see the state of the art muggle technology. I tried teaching her how to string sentences together, but it's been hit and miss. I've got more work ahead of me." Harry nodded gratefully.

"Seriously, Blaise, I really appreciate all of this." Blaise shrugged it off.

"As I said before, no problem. Now, tell me what happened in Diagon Alley…"

And so Harry relayed all the events that had happened (except for the will, Harry reasoned that the families will get a letter soon). Needless to say, Blaise was shocked.

"You're a sorcerer, and you've got an Ice Phoenix!" she shrieked. Harry nodded while Mana looked on curiously (she probably wasn't used to her usually calm teacher freaking out).

"Yeah." Blaise was so awed she was lost for words.

"Wow…I really am impressed, Harry, I really am." she said sincerely. Harry nodded and looked to Mana. The owl girl had been fidgeting in the spot she was standing. She obviously didn't like standing around doing nothing (apart from watching TV…). Harry gave her a thumbs up. Mana returned the hand sign, although with great awkwardness.

"Mana…happy." she said happily. Harry's smile grew as he patted Mana on the shoulder. During the exchange, Blaise was busy cooing over the sleeping form of Aurora. Suddenly, the clock struck 6. Blaise jumped with a start, almost knocking over Aurora's box in her haste.

"I've got to go, Harry." she called to him as she opened the front door. Harry and Mana followed.

"Yeah, we'll wait with you until your parents arrive." But there was no need. Within a moment, Alfredo and Nirvana Zabini had apparated into view.

"Hello dear." greeted Mrs Zabini. And Mr Zabini simply nodded, although not grunts or calculating looks this time.

"Hello, Mr and Mrs Zabini." greeted Harry politely, "It was great having Blaise along." Mrs Zabini chuckled

"Yes, well, it must be fun romping around with my daughter, eh Harry?" Harry almost choked. Does this woman even know what she was saying? Blaise waved to Harry, said that she'd be back tomorrow same time, and left with her parents. Harry saw the family take out a portkey, and disappear into thin air.

For the rest of the evening, after dinner, Harry took out his bookbag of requirement and began reading on advanced and rare magical arts. He made a random request and got the book on elemental magic, also known as Tetramancy. He read thoroughly until 10:00 in the evening, while Mana read the picture books Harry got in the library with enthusiasm. Before he went to sleep, he placed Aurora in Hedwig's old cage. Soon, afterwards, however, the pair went to sleep.

For the next 19 days, Harry would train in the Dursley garage. It contained Dudley's unused gym equipment, and the garage itself was enlarged by Harry. He would begin the day with breakfast with Mana, and then he would allow her to watch TV while he activated the Time Distorter in the garage for three hours, from 9:00-12:00. He then ate at 12, greeted Blaise at 1:00, and her and Mana would continue their lessons while Harry himself would reactivate the Time Distorter from 1:30-5:30, thus completing his day. After going through what Mana learned the day, Harry would see Blaise off. In the evening, he would either go the library to get more books for Mana to read, play with Aurora, write letters to his friends, telling them he's ok or just simply watch TV with Mana. But it was in these 19 days that the true power of Harry James Potter, Boy-Who-Lived, Sorcerer, and the One with the Power the Dark Lord Knows Not, emerged.

**To be continued…**

Authors Note: _Terminus Est_ roughly means 'the end' in Latin, while _Ki Tai no Ichi_ roughly translates into 'Soul and Body as One' from Japanese. In this fic, you may notice that I will probably be using more Japanese words for spells than Latin, because I am more proficient in the former.

**Important Note**: Regarding chapter 1, where Harry banishes his potion and Hedwig drinks what's in the goblet: Yes, that is what happens, and when Harry goes and does the potion again in chapter 4, he simply uses the remnants of what is in the goblet to finish his potion. He does banish his original batch in the cauldron, but the rest in the goblet that Hedwig drank is untouched, and there's enough left for him to make an animagus potion. I based this on the assumption that Hedwig only managed to get a sip before she turned into Mana. I apologise for this confusion, sometimes I confuse myself. Kudos to HeWhoComesWithTheDawn for pointing this out to me.

In the next chapter, expect to see how Harry's been training and what's he learning. Blaise finally meets the Dursleys, Harry and Dumbledore 'talk', and the Order and Harry's friends finally meet Mana. Stay tuned for the next chapter, _Home at Last_. Thank you for all your kind reviews, it really makes writing a pleasure for me. I do apologise for the extreme lateness of this chapter, I do get quite a few writer's blocks. So, once I got over it, I decided to make this chapter extra long for you readers. I hope you enjoyed it!


	6. Home At Last

**Dragonmaster**: I appreciate your constructive criticism, I really do. It's true that sometimes I focus too much on dialogue, so I will try and fix that up in this chapter. For the robes, please note that in chapter five, Harry only acknowledged and considered the idea of using dementor robes. There will be significant meanings in later chapters for why Harry chooses the robes he does (in this chapter Harry constructs his robes). As well as that, the rainbow phoenix robe is not as necessarily immortal as you claim. In my opinion, battle robes adapt similar, not identical qualities to the animal it was made from. I don't want a god-like Harry in my story. But I incorporated your views into my story. And there is a reason why I made Harry buys the eyesight potion, if you read this chapter you'll see why. But other than that, thanks for your comments.

Disclaimer: Harry Potter and its associated trademarks are the property of J.K Rowling. The plot and original characters in this fiction are my own. This fictional work is written for recreational purposes only. No copyright is intended.

_**Flashback…**_

It was on the morning of July the 2nd that Harry first used the Time Distorter. After filling himself and Mana with breakfast, he took her to the Dursley lounge, turned on the TV and told her to watch. Blaise seemed to have taught Mana really well, since Mana's eyes lit up when he mentioned TV. That means, at the very least, she understood what a TV was. Sitting down on the lounge, the owl-turned-girl happily began to watch the morning's programs, which consisted mostly of anime. After making sure Mana wasn't going to do any stupid for the next three hours, Harry took the Time Distorter, his trunk and other supplies into the Dursley garage. It was a double spaced garage, and since the Dursleys were gone, it was completely empty, save for the spare car parts, unused goods and most importantly, Dudley's gym equipment. Petunia and Vernon had bought this for their over-sized son in order to get him fit, but because Dudley was the kind of person who'd rather be friends with Harry then exercise; it lay in the garage, gathering dust. Harry decided to use the equipment to improve his skinny looking form. So after entering the garage, Harry shut all the windows, closed the roller doors and locked the side door. He then took out his Time Distorter and the instructions that came with it.

**_To activate the time distorter, press the green square twice, which will seal the room you are in with the forces of time for an hour, granting you a week in distorted time. You will know this effect is in place because the Time Distorter will surrounded by a green halo. Each subsequent press of the green square will add another hour, i.e. a week, to time distortion. To end the effect early, press and hold down the red button in the middle row of cubes until the green halo disappears._**

_**Beware; it is advisable that you do not, under any circumstance, spend more than 7 weeks in Time distortion per day. Since your body's needs are stopped during distortion, your mind can go insane in real time. You may eat too much because you haven't eaten, theoretically, in weeks. You may not sleep, because you feel that you don't need to, etc. Use with caution.**_

**_-Mervin Linius, creator of the Time Distorter._**

With each day, Harry spent the three hours between 9 to 12 exercising and improving his overall fitness, using an engorgement charm to increase the size of his workspace. In his book Auror's Battle Handbook, Harry would read the physical tactics wizards used against evil wizards, and one the main rule of thumb was 'you only block what you can't dodge'. So after going for one and half hours of running the treadmill and doing weights, he would use one of the spells in Handbook, the _Conjurus Nemesis_ _Statio_ spell, to create a dummy that would fire harmless blasts of light at him. Harry would practice avoiding these blasts. At first, he was quite clumsy with evasion, since he set the dummy at Auror level of proficiency. Not only was he relatively unfit, but he also didn't have a clue in knowing how to dodge effectively. But as time went by over the 19 days, Harry gradually became fitter and stronger. He also consulted some of the books he randomly pulled out from his bookbag of requirement, which mainly centred on muggle martial arts. Although he wasn't too good at them either, he learned enough over the 19 days to defend himself against wizards who weren't accustomed to hand to hand combat. As for the dodging element, Harry progressively got better. Initially beginning with clumsy side-steps, Harry soon learned how to move with minimal effort, depending on the situation. Learning to duck, bend his body, roll and even cartwheel his way out of danger, Harry became an impressive combatant.

As soon as the three hours were up, Harry would leave the garage. He would then eat lunch with Mana, often trying to converse with her. As the days went by, Mana proved to be an adept learner (and Blaise a skilled teacher), as Harry found out during their conversations.

"_What are you eating, Mana?" asked Harry as Mana chewed happily on her food. She looked up and smiled slightly._

"_Umm…Uhh…Mana eating steak…"_

"_Do you like that, Mana?" as Harry pointed to the ice-cream he conjured. Mana nodded._

"_M-Mana like…Mana likes ice cream lots…" she said shyly_.

Aurora, Harry's ice phoenix, also began to grow into a beautiful, blue and white version of Fawkes. She was still small, about the size of a parrot, but her blue and white plumage was very nice to look at. Aurora's grey eyes also tended to sparkle, giving Aurora a sense of innocence. She would sing happily when Harry would stroke her, and she always trilled joyfully whenever Blaise came along. Aurora got a long very well with Mana, well, from Aurora's point of view. Although Aurora would sing her phoenix song for Mana, the inquisitive golden-eyed girl couldn't help but touch and poke Aurora every now and then for doing so. She obviously did not know what a phoenix was, although Aurora didn't seem to mind that at all. In fact, she pulled a Pig, and would flap her wings enthusiastically whenever Harry, Mana or Blaise would pay attention to her. Although Harry felt a little guilty about not letting her outside (she might get spotted by muggles) he did give her free reign over the house. It was pretty common to see Aurora flying down the hallways of the house, or perch on the kitchen table. Using the books Hagrid gave him, Harry raised Aurora with utmost care, although Aurora was still a little too young to use her phoenix powers.

His letters to his friends assured that he was in good health, and that all was well with the Dursleys who had 'left him alone'. True to Dumbledore's promise, the Order hadn't tailed Harry during the summer break, although Harry knew that old coot was up to something. With one of his letters, he sent his subject selections for sixth year: Defence Against the Dark Arts, Transfiguration, Charms, Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, which were requirements of being an Auror.

At 1:00, Blaise would show up for the afternoon lesson. The black-haired, blue-eyed Slytherin girl would always arrive with her parents, who would always regard Harry as some kind of strategic map (Mr Zabini) or humiliate him with muggle innuendo that she obviously didn't know the meaning of (Mrs Zabini). After giving Harry a quick run down of what she would teach Mana, Harry then left to go to the garage to pursue his magical studies at 1:30. He would set the Time Distorter for four hours, putting Harry on the borderline of the seven hour limit. During these four hours (or four weeks, in Harry's case), Harry would study the 'finer' arts of magic. In other words, the stuff they don't teach at Hogwarts. Along with his Hogwarts curriculum, he began with Dark and Light arts, using the books he bought and stuff he pulled out of his bookbag. Along the way he also began Tetramancy, or elemental magic, which had perked his interest when the shopkeeper who sold him his supplies mentioned it. Pulling a book labelled Earth, Fire, Wind, Water: The ABCs of Tetramancy from his bookbag of requirement, Harry soon learned that once again, he was not (and never will be), normal.

_**Tetramancy, or the Art of Elemental Magic, is one of the rarest and prestigious magical arts. It works by changing the magic of a person into that of one of the cardinal elements of the universe:**_

**_Earth, the stalwart building block of the universe. (Geomancy)_**

**_Fire, the passionate power of life. (Pyromancy)_**

**_Wind, the gentle free spirit. (Aeromancy)_**

**_Water, the giver of life. (Hydromancy)_**

_**Each magical being has two elemental affinities. One is their Arcana Major, which is their primary elemental affinity. Though a wizard can learn every type of tetramancy, his Arcana Major will be the strongest. His Arcana Minor is his second, weaker, but still effective, affinity, and it does not necessarily have to be a cardinal element. Often, it is a lesser element like thunder or ice. To find your elemental affinity, raise your wand in front of you, pointing forwards, speak the incantation 'Revealo Tetra', and a coloured sphere will appear in front of you. The colour of the sphere is represents your Arcana Major, and the halo around the sphere represents your Arcana Minor. Please consult page 52 for the meanings of the colours…**_

Harry performed the spell, and when he did so, he was quite intruiged to find that his sphere was purple. His halo was yellow. Eagerly thinking what his elements could be, he turned to page 52 of his book and was shocked into wordlessness…

_**Thunder yellow**_

_**Water blue**_

_**Ice cyan**_

_**If, by sheer chance, you have received a purple sphere, then you are either colour blind, or one of the most powerful wizards/witches in existence. If the later applies, then I congratulate you. You are affluent in all elements, including the minor elements. In other words, you are a Tetramancer. The only other wizards and witches in history to posses this affluence was Merlin, Morgana Le-Fay and Shaman Queen Himiko. You are able to perform every type of elemental magic with equal proficiency.**_

Harry was stunned beyond belief. He, a tetramancer! He was on par with Merlin himself! It wasn't possible. But instead of his old, pre-awakening, whining that he would never be normal, he accepted it with stride. He accepted that would never have a normal life and he wasn't going to throw a hissy fit because his abnormal-o-meter went up another notch. Rather, this revelation only improved his resolve to become stronger. With each of the 19 days, Harry studied tetramancy with a passion, alongside his light and dark arts. He found that, despite being a tetramancer, he had a special liking for the thunder element. Harry also began to dabble with wandless magic. According to Without a Wand: Guide to Wandless Magic and other assorted books he had retrieved from his book bag of requirement, wandless magic was not as impossible as many claim it to be. Although you did need to be pack some power and have strong will powers, wandless magic could be done. The wand was really a focus for a wizard to direct his magical powers. It also assists in providing power for the wizard to cast the spell. But for wandless magic, a wizard would need total control over the spell he wanted to cast, meaning he has to will for the spell to happen. And because there's no wand in providing extra power, the wizard needs to tap all of his magical reserves, making wandless magic inefficient for average wizards.

He also began looking more deeply into Occlumency and Legilimency, now that Snape and his greasy hair weren't going to mess him up. He actually found that Occlumency was a lot more complicated than just 'clearing one's mind'. Occlumency was developed as a counter to Legilimency. There were two types of legilimecy: silent and forceful. The forceful type was the easier version to master, where the legilimens would actually break into the victim's mind to look for memories and feelings. The victim, of course, would feel the entry, just like how Harry felt when Snape did it. The silent type was used by the more powerful wizards like Voldemort, and it was difficult to utilize. It allowed the user to search the victim's mind without alerting the victim, or to implant false images. Silent legilimency would allow a legilimens to search another's mind quietly, while forceful legilimency could immobilise the opponent. Occlumency defended the mind according to the type of legilimecy used: for forceful legilimency, the occlumens would learn how to master his mind, that is, to prevent the legilimens from looking through his memories by taking control of what the legilimens sees. By arranging one's mind, the occlumens could feed the wrong images to the legilimens. It was a battle of willpower, as the occlumens would try to redirect the legilimens' attack, and if possible tries to convince the legilimens that he isn't defending himself.

For silent legilimency, the occlumens would need supreme mastery over their mind, being able to tell when someone is trying to quietly break into their mind. The occlumens also learns to reject foreign thoughts of the legilimens, which in itself was a feat as it isn't in human nature to stop noticing things. Like forceful legilimency, the occlumens defends himself by redirecting the legilimens' thoughts. The ultimate defence, however, was the mushin, or no mind technique. This ultimate form of mental defence was made when the occlumens would think of nothing, letting instinct drive his actions. No legilimens, even a dementor or boggart, could break this defence, and intruding thoughts would be easily found and driven away. Harry had trouble at first, he used a _Nemesis Occlumens Statio _and _Nemesis Legilimens Statio_ as testing dummies, but he wasn't faring too well. But by the 10th day of training (or nearly a year and half in Harry's terms), Harry had completely mastered occlumency and legilimency. The reason for this was because he mastered his animagus forms, and inherited each trait that each form possessed.

Harry was keen on learning how to be animagus, and thanks to the books he found in his bookbag of requirement, that transformation on animagus was also considered a form of wandless magic. Firstly, he had to study about the animals that he was going to transform into. It was little hard for Harry, since the rainbow phoenix was considered a legend and possible nobody would have the guts to do a biological analysis of a condemned dementor, but his bookbag provided one book of each. _Who the hell owns this bookbag, and how big is his library!_ Harry thought. He learned what his animals feasted on (rainbow phoenixes were omnivores, while condemned dementors loved human souls and happy thoughts), their habitats, etc. He had to be 'one with the animal', or so the books say. After a few weeks of learning (ie 3 hours), he figured that he had enough information to make the transformation. In order to do it, he had to shut out all human feelings in his mind, and adopt the persona of the animal. He had to **_be_** his animal. By doing so, he would be forcing his magical powers to transform him into his animal. After several half assed attempts (which resulted in him transforming parts of his body), Harry finally made his first transformation into a rainbow phoenix, where he quickly morphed from his human form into one of a bird. Once again, he basked in the glory of his magnificent form, admiring his multi-coloured plumage and his long, elegant wings. Although he thought like a rainbow phoenix, he still had his memories, and so he could remember how to turn back into a human. It was the opposite of transforming into the form; all he had to do now was to shut out the thoughts of the rainbow phoenix and think like a human. Needless to say, it was a lot easier, but as he was making the metamorphosis back to his human form, Harry could've sworn that he heard a voice in his head:

_**Good work, Harry. I am proud of you. Now, there are two of us!**_

As Harry stood there, shaking his head in the aftermath of the transformation, he realised that he couldn't see well in his glasses. He took them off, and found that he could see normally, no, even better that with his glasses. It was then that he realised that the rainbow phoenix's traits had kicked in.

_Oh…that's right, Ho-Oh told me about this. Well, looks like I don't need my Occulus Repairo potion anymore. I'll just give it to someone in Hogwarts who needs it_.

Harry then tested out his other traits. Pointing his right hand towards his left arm, he cast one of his thunder spells (although with weak force),

"_Bronte Uno!_"

A bolt of lightning emerged from his hand and struck his arm, charring his skin and paralysing the nerves. For a moment, that is, until he realised the pain had disappeared almost as quickly as it come. Looking carefully at his arm, he realised that the burn wound had disappeared almost as quickly as it had appeared.

_Must be my healing powers...damn I'm lucky! Well, at least these powers will help me against Voldemort._

After testing all of his traits, Harry then performed the transformation to the condemned dementor. Unlike his phoenix form, he wasn't feeling all too glorious about the transformation. He could only shudder in disgust as he looked at the eerie, black and red robe, his shrivelled skin and his horrible, yellow bone wings. After staying in the form for one too many moments, he transformed back into his human form.

_Dad, Sirius, Remus, I hope you're proud of me. If I was a marauder, what name would you have given me?_

Harry, after breathing harshly from the transformation, let eyes stray around his little makeshift training area. And like his phoenix form, his condemned dementor form's traits kicked in. He eyes eventually fell upon his robes that he had bought from the 'weird but cool' shop, as he called it.

_Oh…yeah…I was going to make myself some good battle robes…I best get started now, I have about…3 weeks left in this training session…_

He thought long and hard about what materials to use. Either his condemned dementor, with it's powerful dark energies, or his rainbow phoenix, with it's mighty light power. With the dementor, he was guaranteed protection against dark arts, but he was not so sure with other type of magic. With the phoenix, he supposed that he would have protection against all types of magic, but since rainbow phoenixes had never supposed to have existed, he wouldn't be sure on the outcome as there was no information on the matter. He debated on the pros and cons of each robe type, and then decided that he would have every advantage he could acquire. In the end, he had decided on a dual rainbow phoenix and condemned dementor robe. He would combine both the darkness of the dementor and the light of the phoenix into his robes. He was sure he would not be invincible, nor did he think that this theoretical robe could block unforgivables or Voldemort's more powerful spells, but it was his best shot. It was time for him to gather the materials.

Harry took his rainbow phoenix form and, using his long neck, plucked twelve wing feathers and set in on the ground. He then assumed his condemned dementor form, for the next phase of his plan. As he completed his transformation, Harry grabbed the cloak of his form with his corpse-like hands, and pulled it upwards, roughly. It went up halfway, until Harry realised that he had to consider the bone wings. So, he awkwardly pulled out each bone from the cloak, until the cloak was totally free. He then threw the material onto the ground, satisfied with his grim work. Out of curiosity, Harry took a look at the shiny metallic surface of Dudley's gym equipment, to see what a dementor looked like. He was quite disgusted to see that a dementor, without its robe, looked more than a 10 year old corpse. His skin was a pallid greenish-grey, and it was so tight that his bones showed. If it wasn't for his condemned form's bone wings, he would not look out of place in an unearthed muggle grave. Sickened with the sight, he quickly transformed back into human form.

_That's strange…I feel a lot weaker…it must be because I removed my robe in dementor form, that my human form was also weakened. I shouldn't do any intensive training right now. I guess I should just finish making my robes, and then I'll call it a day._

Breathing somewhat hard, Harry grabbed his unmodified robes, and set them on the ground. To conserve his strength, he used his wand to cut four sets of 3x3 inch patches from the dementor robe for his robes, four sets of 2x3 inch patches for his pants and four sets of 2x2 inch patches for his shirts. He stuffed the rest of his excess dementor robe into his trunk. He then put each size piece and a feather to its respective piece of clothing. Starting with one of the robes, Harry made sure that the piece of dementor robe and phoenix feather was on the unmodified robe, before he pointed his wand and cried out,

"_Ki Tai No Ichi!"_ To Harry's surprise, a silver beam of light shot out of his wand and struck the robes, forging a connection between him and his apparel. Harry, by instinct, raised the angle of his wand and thus, the robes followed. He was surprised to see the patch of dementor robe gradually expand and cover the unmodified robe while the phoenix feather seemed to be absorbed into the robe, but he kept the spell going. Finally, the spell culminated in a flash of silver light. After rubbing his eyes, Harry walked over to his newly created robe, giving it a good inspection. The robe itself was black (which Harry surmised was from the dementor materials), and Harry was thankful, because it was more subtle than a multi-coloured robe. He could wear it anywhere. But the strange thing was, that when the robe was unmodified, it was a silky black. But now, Harry could see that the light coming through the garage window wasn't being reflected by the new robe, giving it a sinister, void like appearance. However, the lining on the robe and the insides were not void black; rather it was a bright platinum blue, and it reflected the sunlight brilliantly. Harry figured that this was due to the phoenix feathers. Harry then decided to test the power of his dual phoenix/dementor robe, by laying it on the ground, and casting the strongest tetramancy spell he knew of (without demolishing the Dursley's garage).

"Sacra Pyro!" An intense, bluish-white flame burst from his wand and streaked towards the robe on the ground. It struck it, and the ensuing impact caused a minor explosion that knocked Harry backwards. When the smoke had cleared, he saw that his new robes were unmarked, as if nothing had touched it.

_Wow! They're awesome!_"

Pleased with the results, Harry spent the rest of the day fusing the condemned dementor robes and rainbow phoenix feathers the rest of his clothing, before calling it a day…

And on July the 15th, he received a special package from Mr Olliviander…his Rainbow Phoenix feather wand! It was metallic silver with the colours of the rainbow decorating the wand. Attached to it was a note.

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_Please find your new wand enclosed with this box. It was a pleasure, no, an honour to work with this wand! I have never in my life seen such a powerful magical item, and it took every ounce of my knowledge to get this right. Ordinary wood didn't seem to work with this wand, not even the fabled Cruficious wood. The only substance powerful enough to handle the awesome magical potential of this wand is myrthil, the blessed steel of the elves. What you have in your hand is quite possibly the most powerful wand in existence. It's specifications are: Rainbow Phoenix tail feather, myrthil, 12 inches, elegant and sturdy. Suited for powerful magical arts._

_Enjoy your new wand! Try not to level an island while you're at it, Mr Potter?_

_Sincerely,_

_Nicholai Olliviander._

Harry gazed at his wand with fervour. At school, he would still use his old wand, but if he ever got down and dirty Death Eaters, he would use this wand. Just holding it, not only gave him the feeling of warmth like his old wand did, but he almost felt a surge of power, about to burst forth from the wand. He enlarged the Dursley garage, and conjured a stationary dummy for a test object. Placing it firmly on the ground, Harry moved away and prepared to test his new wand.

"Reducto!"

The blasting hex roared out of his wand with a massive surge of power. The normally red, narrow beam of light was now a thing, branch sized beam of intense red, which streaked towards the helpless dummy. Upon contact, the dummy simple was annihilated by the sheer force of the power behind the spell. The remnants of the dummy, a few charred cinders, flew back and struck the garage wall. Harry gasped. And this was supposed to be just the blasting hex! He didn't even put much intent behind the hex in the first place. No wander Olliviander cautioned him with his wand, what would happen if he used his more powerful magical arts! Harry carefully pocketed his wand, almost paranoid of the possibility that his new wand just might blow up. During his training, as he got more familiar with his wand, he found that the effects of even his lower level spells were magnified infinitely. He definitely had a weapon in his hands. However, he also noticed it was quite draining on him to use. He could, at most, cast stronger tetramancy spells about 4 times, before he felt exhausted.

_End Flashback…_

So after 19 days of training, or 133 weeks of training, almost two and a half years, Harry Potter was no longer, simply, the 'Boy-Who-Lived', since the term 'boy' could no longer be applied to him. He was a young man, who had suffered too much for too long. He was a shining example of manhood; he stood proudly at 5'10" and had a toned body from all his physical training. His once perpetually ruffled hair was now changed. Because his father's change-me-not charm on his hair had been removed after almost 16 years, his hair began to make up for lost time. Within the 19 days his hair had grown out and all the way down his back. Harry, however, cut his hair in such a way so that his hair was still ruffled, but he allowed himself a pony tail that reached the bottom of his neck. Added to that his shiny, sparkling green eyes and the slightly playful smile that was now etched in his face, one would say Harry had changed from the cute boy wonder of Gryffindor to a handsome young man. Harry was a powerful, awakened wizard, who had considerable knowledge of dark and light arts due to his 'two and a half years' of constant study, an accomplished Occlumens, a vicious Legilimens (due to his condemned dementor trait), a skilled Tetramancer, an adept wandless magician and a Polymagus (an animagus with multiple forms). He was by no means perfect, he did not have Dumbledore's experience or Voldemort's power, but he was strong and determined. He still had remnants of his temper from his 5th year, but he had mellowed down somewhat, so that he probably wouldn't flip out anymore if someone called him a deluded liar. Perhaps, it was because of Mana's antics around the house, or Aurora's soothing phoenix songs, or maybe Blaise's company, whatever it was, Harry had a much better control over his temper.

However, although he was supposed to be smarter, he didn't gain much in the way of, 'worldly knowledge'. For example, whenever he caught Blaise staring at him when he back from his training all sweaty in his singlet and shorts, he automatically assumed that he needed to clean himself up. Whenever he would go out and about with Mana to borrow more books or to show her the world, he was quite surprised to see girls giggling and blushing when he passed them. And because our scar faced hero will always be a dense male, he never understood what it meant. On the other hand, Mana had also grown quite a lot. The lessons with Blaise had taught her about almost everything around the house, and some things about the magical world as well. It was now common to see Mana pouring out milk for herself during breakfast, or to see her feed Aurora. Although she still couldn't talk like a normal person, she could at least speak commonly used phrases. For a Miss Blaise Zabini, she had become good friends with a Mr Harry Potter, almost to the point that he considered her similar to Ron and Hermione. Harry was grateful for Blaise's tutelage and companionship, while Blaise herself was happy with her growing friendship with Harry. Aurora, Harry's beautiful Ice Phoenix, had grown considerably. She was now two thirds of Fawke's size and could teleport at will using her powers of ice, appearing in a burst cold air out of nowhere. She often accompanied Harry in the garage during his training.

The last three weeks of peace and happiness, however, were going to come to a complete halt. During the night of July 20, Harry eyed his watch, and when the hands struck 12, signifying it was now July 21, he swore under his breath. The Dursleys were going to come back in the morning. Sighing, he looked over and watched the shallow breaths of Mana leave her body as she slept. How was he going to explain all this! No matter, he thought, he would deal each problem as it came. For now, he too fell asleep…

…Until he was awoken with a dreadful banging of the front door. Harry awoke with a jolt, thus waking Mana with him. The golden eyed girl, looking extremely appealing in the white sleeping gown Blaise had given her, yawned and stretched her arms, before giving Harry a warm smile.

"Harry…good morning." She whispered, tilting her head to the side. Harry, however, couldn't return her greeting.

"Morning, Mana." He replied tersely. Mana sensed something was wrong, and lowered her head somewhat.

"Mana…did Mana do bad to Harry?" she asked sadly. Harry almost regretted his cold good morning, and patted her on the head, which perked her up.

"Mana, I want you to stay here," he said gently but firmly, "Something is going on." Mana nodded, she seemed to understand because she sat on the side of the bed, twiddling her thumbs. Harry also gave a pointed look to the blue and white bird perched next the bed.

"Aurora, I want you to stay here as well. Please don't sing, it's important." The ice phoenix understood, she gave a low trill and kept quiet then on. Making sure all was well, he left his room, closed the door and travelled to the front of the house. Opening the door, he was met face to face with his blasted relatives. Vernon, purple faced, acted first.

"WHERE THE RUDDY HELL HAVE YOU BEEN, BOY!" he yelled, ignoring Petunia's protests to keep quiet. Spit flew from his mouth, landing on Harry's shirt. But after taking a careful look at Harry's new form, Petunia made her move.

"Who on earth you, and what are you doing in our house!" she shrieked. Petunia expected to see her spectacle faced, short and skinny nephew. Instead, a tall young man with rough yet elegant black hair took his place. Harry spoke,

"It's me aunt Petunia, and Uncle Vernon, I just woke up. Don't wake the neighbours, it's only 7:00." he replied calmly. This infuriated Vernon even more.

"Are you going to let us in our house, then?" he snapped. Harry shrugged.

"Please." he said mockingly, bowing as he allowed passage to the Dursleys. They glared at him as they trudged into their home, bags at their sides. After entering, Vernon inspected the house.

"It looks like the house is not yet a crack house." he sneered, looking at Harry, "but if I even sees one speck of dust in the wrong place you won't eat for a week!" Harry shrugged again, his mind working on new ways to annoy his relatives,

"I did as you asked. Check yourself." And try as Vernon and Petunia might, they could not find one dirty place in the house. In the meantime, Dudley confronted Harry.

"Hey, freak!" Dudley said maliciously.

"Hey, pork chops." Harry replied smoothly, "Did you suck up to good ol' auntie Marge again?"

"At least I have someone! You've got no right to say that!"

"I just did, big man." Dudley glared a hole into his cousin, who didn't seem to give a damn. "What, Dudley, no comeback? Oh, that's right, your mind can only think of one insult at a time." Dudley was getting pissed off.

"I bet," Dudley growled, "you wouldn't be such a big guy if you didn't have that little stick of yours." Harry raised his eyebrows.

"Oh? That's right; I left it in my room. Guess I'm not a big guy, eh pork chops?" If Dudley's face had gotten any redder, he would match the Weasley's hair colour.

"You're not allowed to use the you-know-what, so you better watch what you say to me, freak." A smirk appeared on Harry's face.

_Guess all my training has made me into a bit of an ass…power really does corrupt. Oh well, it's only Dudley…_

"Is that right?" Harry stuck out his right hand, and made a series of complicated hand gestures, ending with a dramatized cry of "Abra Kadabra Alazkam!"

Dudley looked fearful, "What on earth did you do to me!" Harry grinned.

"Remember my eleventh birthday, the little 'thing' my giant friend gave you? Well, I just put it back on, but longer this time." Dudley panicked

"Where!" he yelled out, before he turned his fat neck around to look at his butt. Of course, being the weight-challenged little whale he was, he couldn't see all the way around. He spent the next minute or so spinning on the spot, trying to look at his supposed 'tail' (there was no tail). Which is how Petunia and Vernon found him.

"I suppose the house is cle-…What on earth is wrong with you, Dudders!" Screeched Petunia. Dudley whimpered as he stopped spinning. He pointed an accusing finger at Harry, who had a neutral face (on the verge of cracking up)

"He…he…he used you-know-what one me! He's trying to turn me into a pig"

"Too late for that, Dudley." Came Harry's smooth reply, as he crossed his arms. Vernon cut in.

"Ah ha! Now you're done for! You can't use that…thingy in your holidays! You're in for it now, boy!" Harry's look of mirth quickly vanished, and a look of supreme loathing filled his eyes. He wasn't going to take any crap from his hated relatives, who treated him as something lower than dirt. His power, he mused, had made him more…confident. Thus, he could stand up to the people who always put him down. He never asked to be taken in by them, but as Dumbledore wanted it, he was. All he ever wanted from them was a home, which he never got.

"Remember our talk, uncle?" hissed Harry, "I'm emancipated, and so that means I can do magic…"

"Don't say that word in our house!" snarled Vernon. Dudley nodded along with his daddy, although his chubby arms were still trying to feel for any changes to his backside. Petunia, however, was deep in thought.

"Emancipated, am I correct, boy?" she asked carefully. Harry and the Dursley males were quite surprised at the calculating tone of their voice. Harry nodded warily.

"Yeah."

"Meaning you're an adult now." Dudley snorted at this, but was silenced by an elbow jab from Vernon.

"I guess so." Petunia smiled maliciously (a very disturbing sight, Harry thought)

"In that case, I should remind you what my letter from your esteemed freak professor said. We are only to mind you until the coming of age. 17 years, which is adulthood. You may not be 17, but you're an adult now!" she said triumphantly.

"That means…" Harry murmured, knowing what was going to happen. Vernon, and even surprisingly Dudley caught on.

"That's right! Get out of our house, you spawn-from-hell!" Petunia wrenched open the front door and pointed out. Dudley and Vernon also joined in.

"Off with you, boy!" "I'll beat you up if you ever come here again!" Harry backed off into the stairs.

_Finally…my dream come true. I'll finally be able to leave them! I've got money, I can stay wherever I want!_

"Give me a moment! Let me get my stuff!" He yelled as he ran up the stairs.

"Don't you dare take away the clothes we so graciously gave you!" Petunia's voice screeched as Harry vaulted into his tiny room. Inside, Mana was watching Aurora in her cage while the beautiful phoenix trilled softly. She looked up as Harry approached.

"What is wrong, Harry?" she asked. She didn't like the tense yet satisfied look on his face. She noted with some curiosity that Harry began to pack away his possessions into his trunk.

"We're leaving, Mana. Going away from this place." Mana, who never knew what it was like to live with the Dursleys, looked almost upset.

"No more TV Harry?" Harry gave her a tight smile as he packed in the last of Mana's belongings into his trunk.

"Maybe when we get to our new place." Mana perked up at that. Harry's was room completely devoid of possessions, the only things left were his wands (stashed away in his pocket), his invisibility cloak, Aurora and her cage. Getting Mana's attention, he pointed to Aurora's cage.

"Mana, carry Aurora ok?"

"Ok Harry." With that, the owl-turned-girl wrapped her arms around the cage, and brought it close to her voluptuous bosom. Harry then draped the invisibility cloak over Mana, causing her to shudder.

"What to do Harry?"

"Mana, hold my hand. We are going to leave but no-one is to see you. Aurora, please don't make a sound, I need to do this correctly, for our safety. An 'OK' and a affirmative chirp was heard. Harry, making sure that Mana's hand was holding on to his, and his trunk in his other hand, left his room and slowly made his way down stairs, where the Dursleys awaited. Supreme looks on triumph were on their faces. Vernon chose to speak first.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Get out of our house!" he yelled. Petunia followed suit.

"You should feel lucky that we're letting you keep your clothes!" she said. Dudley had the last word.

"Never bother us again, freak!" he snorted. Harry took one last look at his hated relatives, and gave them a brief nod.

"You know," he said, "I never asked for this. I never asked to intrude in your life, but things happened and here I am. Do you hate me so much just because I am a wizard? Am I that much different to you all? I still live and breathe, I have feelings too, you know. And I have felt nothing but pain living here. As much as I want to say that I hate you, I am above that. So I will say this. Farewell." With that, he opened the door, and ushered Mana out first, which looked strange to the Dursleys from their point of view. After making sure all was clear, he too exited with his trunk. No sooner than he got out, did the door slam in his face and mutterings of 'good riddance, freak', lingered.

Harry walked a few blocks away with his invisible charge until they were clear from the sight of any nearby muggle. Harry then took off the invisibility cloak off Mana, and draped it around Aurora's cage instead (he didn't want his phoenix to be seen). Mana was still holding onto Aurora's cage, looking somewhat apprehensive.

"No more home, Harry?" she asked. Harry shook his head.

"Not yet, Mana. I'll get us out of this mess." He stuck out his wand and immediately, the Day Bus arrived. He bought himself two tickets to the only place he could go right now…Grimmauld Place. Once seated with Mana, he mentally steeled himself with his coming encounter with the Order and Dumbledore. As he was doing so, a sudden thought occurred to him.

_Blaise! Oh, crap! What's going to happen if I'm not there!"_

It was about 8:30 when the Day Bus arrived at Grimmauld Place. As usual, there was no house number 12 between 13 and 15. After disembarking from the bus (and making sure it was gone), he and Mana walked towards house number 10 and stopped. He turned to Mana and said,

"Mana, can you remember something for me? A secret?" Mana's eyes lit up with interest.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked curiously.

"Remember this: The Headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix can be found at 12 Grimmauld Place." He whispered. Mana nodded, and repeated the line a few times under her breath, before nodding to Harry.

"All done."

"Good."

As soon as the pair had turned, a house suddenly seemed to push its way between number 10 and 14. Tugging at Mana's hand, he led her to the front door and was about to ring the bell when suddenly, the doors opened, as if the house itself had expected him. The two teens and phoenix entered quietly, so as not to alert anyone in the house. 12 Grimmauld Place, while still looking like a dark wizard's hangout, at least was somewhat clean. Cobwebs no longer existed in the corners, the walls looked like they received a fresh layer of paint and the floor looked like it had been cleaned pretty well. Despite that, Mana could not help but shudder. Harry thought that it was because Mana was not used to being in a house that, while relatively clean, had such a dark and foreboding air. Making sure Mrs Black's portrait wouldn't begin screaming; he led Mana (while covering her with the invisibility cloak again) and went towards the kitchens of the house…

_So much for getting picked up on August the 17th…_

_**Some time earlier…**_

"And this meeting of the Order of the Phoenix has officially started."

Dumbledore, Tonks, Moody, Lupin, Mr and Mrs Weasley as well as other order members sat in their seat, patiently waiting for Dumbledore to reveal his agenda, in the kitchen of the house. Although, Arthur Weasley was a bit apprehensive, and with good reason. Albus Dumbledore, for the last three weeks or so, had looked more tired and weary than he had ever seen, almost to the point that he looked upset. _And I think I know what it is about_, Arthur thought grimly. Dumbledore stood up and gestured to Severus Snape, Hogwart's resident potions master/bastard.

"Severus, have you anything to report for us?" The greasy haired man cleared his throat.

"For the last few weeks, as you may have already surmised, the Dark Lord has been very quiet in his activities. The exploits of Potter and his little gang of vigilantes at the Ministry of Magic had disrupted his plans completely." intoned Snape, throwing the occasional sneer at people he didn't like, "From what we of his inner circle have heard, his original plan was to use Potter to break into the Department of Mysteries, obtain an item for him, and to, for a lack of a better word, retrieve it with his Death Eaters. He was even considering the fact that the Ministry may arrest Potter for what he did, considering their hatred of the brat at the time. He did not plan, however, that Potter and his groupies to put up the fight that they did, nor did he plan on getting you, Albus, and the rest of the Order involved. Most of all, he did not plan to have the item he was searching for to be destroyed. As a result, the Dark Lord has been prematurely revealed to the wizarding world, the wizarding world is now banding together to resist his forces and he is very angry at the loss of the item he wants and nearly his entire inner circle."

"Good, the more death eaters we catch, the less problems for us." growled Moody, his normal eye in a twisted glare. Remus also voiced his concerns,

"Severus, what exactly is Voldemort looking for?" he asked mildly. Shudders went through the table as the name was mentioned. From the corner of his sight, Snape saw Dumbledore shake his head ever so slightly.

"If I had known, do you think I would be referring to that information as merely an 'item', Lupin?" hissed Snape, "Of course I don't know. Not even Lucius Malfoy knew exactly what that item was until the day of the operation."

"More like, doesn't want us to know," sneered Moody under his breath, "Once a death eater, always a death eater." Snape did not hear, and continued.

"The Dark Lord, for the last few weeks, has kept a low profile. He does not want to force an unnecessary confrontation yet, seeing that he only has a handful of his more skilled death eaters, dozens of new recruits and some dark creatures."

"Do you have any specifications on who has joined, Severus?" asked Dumbledore.

"From the Ministry of Magic battle, the remaining inner circle is Bellatrix Lestrange, Nott, Pettigrew, the Harrison brothers and Crawford. He has also begun to recruit new members, so I advise you take heed of any student acting suspiciously at Hogwarts. For his dark creatures, he has recruited several trolls, dementors, lethifolds and I hear he has acquired a pair of manticores." Everyone shuddered at this, even one manticore was deadly, "The Dark Lord has also sent envoys to several dark creatures. Hagrid has informed us that his attempt to sway the giants has failed, and they will stay neutral. On the other hand, he has sent envoys to the dominant vampire families and the strong werewolf clans." Dumbledore nodded,

"Remus?" The kindly werewolf stood up.

"I have spoken to our leader, Talbain, and he has told us that although he has declared neutrality, some of the rogue clans are interested in joining Voldemort. I fear you may be facing rogue werewolves in the near future."

"I see," said Dumbledore, "Hestia?" The pretty black haired witch also stood up,

"I have heard from my second uncle, a Tremére family patriarch, that the major clans have also declared neutrality. However, if You-Know-Who offers what them what they desire, then they may consider an alliance with him. As a matter of fact, even the matriarch of the Malkavian family is already trying to get her vassals to join You-Know-Who." Dumbledore nodded gravely

"This is indeed disturbing. If Voldemort indeed succeeds in recruiting both the vampires and werewolves, than I am sorry to say, but the wizarding world would be in dire straits. Remus, Hestia, you know what to do…?"

"Yes." both said in unison

"Than I wish you all the best. Severus, Remus, Hestia, thank you for your reports." The three sat down as Dumbledore began to speak again.

"If there is nothing to report, than I hereby declare this mee-"

"There is something!" interjected Mr Weasley, surprising even his wife. He wasn't the assertive type, but Dumbledore nodded to him graciously.

"What is on your mind, Arthur?" Mr Weasley set his jaw, looking very grim, which Molly thought was quite strange; even in the worst situations he was quite easy going.

"Yes, Albus. For the last few weeks, you have looked like a mess. Something is wrong." Many curious stares were thrown in his way, but Mr Weasley paid no attention to them, "As your fellow Order of the Phoenix member and as your friend, I would like to know what is going on." Dumbledore gave a hollow sigh.

"I, I suppose I can reveal what has been troubling me, if I may be permitted to do so?" The order nodded and murmured affirmations as one, "Very well, I shall begin. It concerns Harry Potter." Nearly all of the order members strained to listen, except for Snape who simply made a derisive noise under his breath.

"When last we met, Harry and I were not of the best of terms. It…it was my fault, and now he no longer trusts me. His anger at me was so strong that he trashed my office," gasps of surprise were heard, "When he left Hogwarts, he left specific instructions to leave him alone for a while. Eventually, he began to communicate again, using his friends' owl, seeing that his own one had left to mate. He seemed to be alright according to the letters, but he constantly avoids mentioning me. When Hagrid informed me about an amnesic, magical girl Harry found at his home, I knew I had to do something. For the last three weeks, I have been monitoring his movements, via Miss Tonks and Alastor Moody. They have reported that, for the last three weeks, he has stayed mostly in his house, out of sight and has acted in such a way we cannot discern his actions. For the few times he has left the house, he has travelled with the girl he found, Miss Mana, and according to Alastor who oversees Harry's movements out of the house," Moody nodded, "the girl is genuinely no threat to Harry. They have not been able to get close to Harry, or they might be discovered. Finally, they have reported that a Miss Blaise Zabini from Slytherin has been constantly visiting his house."

"Don't worry," chortled Moody, at Mrs Weasley's scandalized look, "the lad is still a lad I suppose, though you couldn't tell by the way he looks now." Moody got prominent stares from the Order members, particularly the Weasleys and Tonks, who had not been able to get visual contact on Harry. "They haven't been living in sin, or may Tonks here may think otherwise…?"

"No, although I can't see Harry I haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary. He should be fine." said Tonks, her hot pink hair matching the colour on her face. Hagrid tried his best not to let his face give anything away.

"What does this mean, Albus?" asked Mr Weasley, still being assertive.

"It means that Harry is up to something that we don't know about, despite the fact we have been observing him. He obviously does not trust me or any of us enough to tell us what he is planning."

"And with good reason, too." snapped a voice from the other side of the kitchen. Faces turned, and the Order of the Phoenix was greeted with the sight of one Harry Potter.

Harry was standing there, ignoring the supremely surprised looks and Snape's glare coming his way. He was no longer the spectacled, scruffy haired boy with the shabby jeans, faded shirt and hands-in-pocket routine. To the order, he was a tall, handsome young man with rugged yet elegant long black hair, fit body, wearing a black tank top, designer jeans and brand name shoes (he did buy muggle things with his credit card he got from Gringotts). He stood there, tall and confident, with his shiny green eyes not betraying anything. Behind him (and invisible) was Mana, looking quite bewildered at the sight of so many people in one room. Moody seemed to have noticed her with his magical eye, but a quick glare from Harry silenced whatever protest he was about to make. Various thoughts ran through the heads of various people.

_Harry…what's happened to you?_ thought Remus

_Oh Harry, you've grown! How on earth did this happen? But you look so handsome_ thought Molly, filled with her motherly concern

_Hey, don't look at me like that, boy! _thought a disfigured Auror.

_Took a leaf out of my book, eh Harry?_ thought Bill, grinning

_My god…he's gorgeous…_ thought a certain clumsy Auror, her cheeks lighting up

_I like porn, err, that brat has returned. Trust him to make an entrance, his arrogance is killing me_ thought a greasy haired potions master

_My boy, you have returned to us. But, how?_ thought Dumbledore. He greeted Harry.

"Harry, how on earth did you get here?" he asked, although he was happy to see the boy he thought of like a grandson safe and sound.

"And hello to you to, headmaster." replied Harry in a voice so cold that the room temperature dropped. Again, the Order was exposed to yet another shock. When Dumbledore told them that he and Harry didn't get along, it was understatement of the year.

"I cannot begin to tell you how much anxiety you have caused-"

"Save it, you old fool." growled Harry, looking at the old man with supreme contempt. The Order was speechless. Whatever happened to their sweet boy from Gryffindor? Staring at Harry, his now emerald eyes were now an acid colour, burning the nerves of those who had the courage to face him. However, Mrs Weasley decided to cut in.

"Harry, watch your language!" she cried, "I know something happened between you and Albus but." Harry cut her off. He loved the Weasleys with all his heart and soul, especially Molly Weasley who had treated him like her own son, but he just had to get some things off his chest. With all the revelations about his parents revealed to him on the fateful Diagon Alley trip, his mistrust of Dumbledore from his fifth year and reminders of how he and others had suffered over the years because of Dumbledore's manipulations due to his improved mind and Occlumency, the rage within Harry, sealed away since his showdown at the headmaster's office, had broken when he laid eyes on the manipulative old bastard. Emotion ran through Harry's veins; despair, betrayal and anger. He would not be denied.

"Mrs Weasley, I love you dearly, but I have a score to settle with our esteemed Professor Dumb-and-Dopey over there. Please, allow me to speak." Harry's words were quiet, but firm. Something about Harry's persona just seemed to command attention. The plump red-headed woman sighed and backed down. Remus, on the other hand, was just relieved to see Harry in good health, so he waited to see what would happen. Snape, although he hated Harry with a vengeance, was curious to see the boy wonder from Gryffindor would say to his idol, Albus Dumbledore. Seeing that he had shocked everyone into silence, Harry continued,

"Headmaster, I thought my letter was clear. You are an intelligent wizard, are you not?" he asked in a deadly, silky voice, "which part of 'I want to be left alone' do you not understand?" Dumbledore feigned ignorance.

"I do not understand, Harry." he said, with a slight but slowly fading twinkle in his eyes, "We respected your wishes…" Harry rolled his eyes.

"Oh, please. Don't tell me I didn't know I was being followed, hmm?" asked Harry coldly, surprising all with his cunning, "I knew that I was being followed by Tonks and Moody. However, I must thank you for confirming the fact that you really are a bastard that controls people like they don't matter. All I wonder is why you would do such a thing."

"We did no such thing!" protested Tonks, while Moody remained passive, "I swear that nobody followed you!"

"Please, Tonks, don't insult my intelligence. During my brief hiatus at Durska-ban, I sensed that I was being followed during these last three weeks, and so I resolved to find ways to uncover who these spies were. A muggle once said 'know thy enemy', and so I did. I sensed someone with little finesse trying to observe me at home, so I placed random debris around the windows of the house." Tonks eyes widened, "No offense Tonks, but there's only person that could possibly trip over the same rock twice, at the same window." Tonks hung her head in shame, while Remus secretly applauded the young man's resourcefulness. _But didn't he say he sensed them…?_ thought Remus.

"As for you, Moody, I discovered you were spying on me too. Do you remember when I walked with Mana in that forest with dead leaves? Craneberry Forest? I know what a foot step sounds like, treading on dead leaves, but you don't have two feet, do you Moody? There is difference between the sound of a foot and the sound of a wooden leg. I may not have been able to see you under your invisibility cloak, but my ears didn't betray me." Moody looked surprised, then surprised everyone by smiling somewhat.

"You got me, laddie. Constant Vigilance, always works eh Potter?" Harry bowed, before turning to face Dumbledore again.

"I guess that proves your manipulations, headmaster. Don't tell me Tonks and Moody get off to spying on other people now…?"

"Harry, I was only doing this for your own safety. I only had your best interests at heart." replied Dumbledore wearily. Harry's glare intensified.

_How dare he…my best interests? Like sending me off to the Dursleys when I wasn't supposed to, or withholding the prophecy from me? I'll show you!_

"Oh? Like shipping me off to the Dursleys, when my parents stated in their will that I should be sent to Sirius?" asked Harry venomously. Dumbledore paled.

"How did you know about that?"

"I've been busy, Headmaster. But I digress. Did you feel good defiling my parents' final wishes by sending me to my mother's hated relatives? Did you get a rush when you separated me from Sirius and Remus, just so your plans would be carried out?" he asked accusingly. Remus stood up and faced Dumbledore, ashen faced.

"Albus, please tell me Harry's lying. Please tell me that what Harry just said isn't true. Please…" begged Remus. Dumbledore lowered his head, saying nothing. Remus howled like an injured wolf as he banged his fist on the table with his superhuman strength. The Order members looked upon Dumbledore with shock and betrayal.

"How could he do that to James and Lily?" asked Kingsley Shacklebolt, aghast.

"Surely, there must be a good explanation for this…" replied Emmeline Vance. Dumbledore looked stricken.

"Harry, I…"

"That's not all! You condemned Sirius to Azkaban!" he shouted. Dumbledore, despite the melancholy he had fallen into, straightened up at that remark.

"I do not deny that I have acted in ways you do not agree with, but I would never go as far as to sentence an innocent man to Azkaban." replied Dumbledore calmly. Harry's rage pulsed as he heard this. He had thought about Sirius' case, and things didn't add up. Dumbledore, looking shaken, still had a defence,

"While I will forever regret doubting Sirius, you must understand that at the time we thought of him guilty. Everyone of us did, even Remus. We were fooled by somebody we thought was one of us. Now, I can only pray that he forgive our sins of the past. But you understand, Harry, don't you? Didn't you also believe he was guilty too, Harry? I am guilty in believing he was guilty for all those years." asked Dumbledore in a pacifying voice. For a moment many thought he had caught out Harry, but they were wrong.

"LIAR!" screamed Harry, which awakened Mrs Black's portrait. Surprisingly, she didn't start screeching like she always does. As any true Slytherin, she eagerly listened to the events transpire. Harry continued, his eyes now a deadly green, "Don't lie to me, I know better than that! You believed he was innocent, Dumbledore! If you didn't then why on earth did you believe, in our third year, that he was innocent! You took the words of a 13 year old wizard and witch almost immediately, yet for the last 13 years prior you believed him guilty! How does that add up? No one knew, not even his close friend Remus Lupin, and that was only until he had the Marauder's Map and confronted Sirius himself. You weren't there, and if Remus didn't know, then how on earth would you!" The kitchen was deathly quiet now, "Simple. You knew because you knew he was innocent all this time. Even though you say you don't, you know you had your doubts." Dumbledore seemed to wither on the spot.

"Harry, there is-" Guilt was all over Dumbledore's face, and it spurned Harry on.

"I'm not finished, you old fool! Why didn't you do anything! You're the bloody Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot, aren't you? You could redeem hardened death eaters" Snape froze at this, but was relieved that Harry didn't mention names, "…but you couldn't do anything for Sirius now, could you? Was it so hard to request a trial, even Veritaeserum? Aren't you a freakin' legilimens! Huh! Aren't you? And if you believed him innocent all this time, then why did you let him rot in Azkaban all this time! And if you didn't, why did you risk breaking several cardinal laws of the universe to help us out? Those Time-Turners, damn you! Tell me, Dumbledore. Has your sweets made you as senile as you look!" Mrs Weasley looked like she was about to shout in Dumbledore's defence, but when she gazed upon the Hogwarts headmaster's guilty face, she too paled. Harry then pulled out his trump card as he faced the stunned Order. Throughout the dark, antique, almost haunted environment of 12 Grimmauld Place's kitchen, silence reigned.

"And you want to know why your beloved old fool let a man rot in Azkaban for more than a decade? Simple. He wanted his weapon, yours truly, to be made into the perfect tool for taking down Voldemort. But he couldn't do that if someone was raising Harry different to what he wanted. So he needed to get Sirius out of the way. You let him rot in Azkaban while I rotted away at my aunt's house, knowing that I would turn to you as the 'kindly old man' who helped me through all my troubles, because no-one else would!" hissed Harry, ignoring the 'hand-caught-in-the-cookie-jar' look on Dumbledore's face. Harry sniffled, but powered on, "How could you do that? How could you sentence an innocent man to fate like that, just to make sure your plans were on the right track!" Harry's words cut Dumbledore like Gryffindor's sword, as the old man crumpled beneath the accusations. He faltered and placed a shaking hand on the table, causing Bill, Charlie and Mundungus Fletcher (who were sitting nearby), to pull away. He looked sorrowfully at the bitter young man who glared at him with utmost loathing.

"Harry…I…I can never repay Sirius, Remus or you for the suffering I have caused. But I just want you to know this: During the days leading up to your parents' deaths, Sirius seemed quite short-tempered and withdrawn, which I now know was due to the rumours that there was a spy in our ranks. Many thought he, the outcast of the infamous Blacks, was the spy. I never for once believed he was the spy, but you must understand that he never told me he switched secret-keepers at the last moment. So when your parents were murdered, many of the order immediately accused him. Could you blame us, considering the way he acted beforehand? I…I must confess I had my suspicions, but in truth I was torn. On one side, Sirius and James were closer than blood brothers. On the other, Sirius did dabble in Dark Arts, and he was sometimes arrogant and impulsive. I did not know what to think, but in the end my concern for you was first priority. I ordered Hagrid to bring you to me, at all costs, when I heard the news...You…you know why I sent you to your relatives. To keep you safe-"

"And to keep me under your control" snapped Harry. Again, Dumbledore winced.

"I only wanted you to be safe, and where better else than a place where you can gain blood protection?" Harry looked away and grimaced, while Kingsley, Moody and the other knowledgeable Aurors present expressed their awe upon hearing that, "Now, Sirius had disappeared after he gave Hagrid his motorbike. We did not see him until the next day, when we saw him in that street with the bodies of those muggles and Pettigrew's finger. The wizarding world lashed out against Sirius. After seeing that, I still had my doubts, but I suppose my belief in fate was the deciding factor. Considering the prophecy (Dumbledore said this in a low voice that only Harry could hear), the defeat of Voldemort, the death of your parents, the disappearance of Sirius and the blood protection that you now possessed, I interpreted that as a sign that Sirius shouldn't have custody over you because he was truly guilty. From that point, I had convinced myself that Sirius was guilty. Now I realise that I was wrong." And with that, Dumbledore raised the sleeve of his stars and moon robes and wiped some tears that slid down his cheek. Silence filled the kitchen while the Order comprehended this.

_I still have more to go, Dumb-as-a-door!_

_Albus…how could you betray all of us like this!_

_Oh, that poor Sirius, and after all these arguments we had before he died…sob_

_You idiot Albus, whatever happened to constant vigilance!_

_You willing condemned Black to Azkaban? Even I wouldn't go that far!_

_How else have you wronged poor Harry, Professor Dumbledore!_ Harry was the first to recover from the tense silence.

"Do you want to know why Sirius suddenly disappeared? Moreover, why the wizarding world condemned him so easily!" choked out Harry in a shaky voice. Dumbledore faced Harry with red eyes, but did not make a sound.

_The more I think about it, the more I believe that my increased intelligence from awakening is a double edged sword…_ thought Harry bitterly as he began his second verbal assault.

"It was because you defied my parent's will. It was because you broke wizarding laws to fulfill your own goals. It was because you took away Sirius from me and me from him."

"What does that have to do with anything?" asked Snape harshly. Dumbledore raised his hand, and Snape could only wonder why his headmaster willing accepted more verbal bashing from the spawn of his hated enemy. Harry, who had looked almost broken then, stood up suddenly and slowly advance towards Dumbledore with a feral grace. Molly tried vainly to stand and interrupt Harry, but Bill and Charlie shook their heads, telling her without words that Dumbledore had this coming for a while. Harry cast a momentary look at Snape, but answered his query.

"I will answer, Snivellus." snapped Harry angrily, and no-one bothered to correct him, "It has to do with everything. Consider this: He was outcast from his family, his fellow brothers-in-arms thought him as a traitor," The old crowd of Order members look ashamed, "his close friend thought he had sold them out to Voldemort", Lupin looked down at the mention of his name, "his best friend and his best friend's wife is dead, his other friend had betrayed him, and finally you, Dumbledore, took way the godson that was rightfully his to look after. Tell me, if you were Sirius, what would have you have done, when you have nothing to lose?"

Realisation dawned through the eyes of Dumbledore and the older order members. Never, did they once consider Sirius' feelings during the time leading up to James and Lily's murder. The life in the kitchen had been extinguished so quickly that one could have mistaken that a dementor was in the house.

Meanwhile, Mana was still under the invisibility cloak, dutifully standing where Harry had instructed her to. She observed what was happening, and despite her (lack of) intelligence, had some idea of what was going on. She sighed softly and whispered softly to Aurora, who's grey eyes seemed to be in pain, as if she knew what Harry was feeling right now.

"Ohh…Aurora, Mana does not know what to do. Harry is angry at all those people. Harry is good because he always takes care of Mana and Aurora and Blaise, and those people are making Harry angry. Why are they being mean to Harry? They are bad!" Aurora nodded her head slightly, as if she understood, "What should Mana do? Mana…does not like to see Harry upset. Should Mana get angry at those bad people too?"

Aurora shook her head slightly, but Mana seemed to understand that this was Harry's fight. She sighed again, and tightened her hold on Aurora's cage. She looked at Harry again, who seemed to radiate with pain and despair. Had she looked to the mirror on her right, she would have noticed two red headed boys sneaking up to the kitchen…

The kitchen was a in a pensive silence. The order members sat around the rectangular wooden table, the older ones feeling dejected and ashamed for their treatment of Sirius, while the newer members pitied Harry for all that Dumbledore put him though. Bill and Charlie, sitting together, were whispering urgently and pointing at Dumbledore. Mrs Weasley gave Dumbledore a look that said 'touch my children and you're dead'. Dumbledore himself, looking every bit 150 years old, was supporting himself with one hand on the table, and the other rubbing his face. He might have been the leader of the light, but now he was a frail old man who made one too many mistakes for the sake of all. And standing a few feet away from was Harry, whose accusing eyes cut into Dumbledore time and time again. Harry decided to finish off.

"One last thing headmaster." he said icily, "You know how the wizarding world is so quick to judge people, on image, even on other people's opinions. Take me and my fifth year as an example. Do you think they would have accused Sirius so easily if they saw him raising the child of the people he supposedly betrayed? Hell, do you even think he would have even gone after Pettigrew if I was in his care? You took away Sirius' godson, will to live and last bit of credibility in the eyes of the wizarding world, and you took away my godfather and the chance for a good life."

Mana could almost feel the mournful emotion in the room herself. She wanted to comfort Harry, in the way he had comforted her when she first came to be. Many times, she was about to abandon all caution and run to Harry, but somehow, Aurora disapproved by shaking her head slightly every time. Mana turned, and watched as another redhead boy and girl, and this time, another bushy brown haired girl joined the other two redheads near the entrance to kitchen.

_Ohh…so red! What do they do now? Will they hurt Harry? Mana must be sure, she has to be ready!_

With that, Mana snuck up quietly to the assembled teenagers and lingered just behind the bushy haired girl, ready to do something, anything, if they tried to hurt her precious Harry. She observed, however, that they were content in just watching the events unfold. She caught some of their conversation,

"…who'd you think that is, Hermione?"

"I don't know. He seems angry at Professor Dumbledore, but he doesn't seem malicious…"

"He does look somewhat familiar…"

"Woah, I've never seen anyone talk back at Dumbledore!"

"Right you are, brother mine. Let's sit back and watch the fireworks…"

Dumbledore was now rapidly wiping his sleeve across his face, desperately trying to dry his tears. He wasn't angry that he had lost control of his 'weapon', he truly cared for Harry. He was angry at himself, for failing one, no, two black haired young men who had looked up to him with so much trust.

"Harry." choked out the aged wizard placating, "Please understand that I only sent you to your relatives for your own safety. I…I was present when Lily gave birth to you. She and James I loved like children of my own, and you as the grandson I never had. I loved you when you were born, and I could not bear to see you in any pain of any kind." Harry had a neutral look on his face, but his eyes were still red from tears, "I loved you, my boy. I sent you to the Dursleys because they could give you the greatest protection from the greatest threat of all, Voldemort. I knew he would return. I wanted you to be protected. I didn't want you to die. I did all of this because I cared for you." Harry could tell that the old man was actually sincere, but his anger that had been released along with the revelations of Sirius, could not be stopped. He wanted to shown his once beloved Headmaster how much pain he had suffered over the years.

"You cared for me, Dumbledore? You didn't want me to die? Think again. You think that getting hit by an Avada Kedavra is the only way one could die? How about starving to death? Beaten to death? How about that, Dumbledore?" asked Harry venomously, malice slipping out of every word. Noticing the confused looks on Dumbledore and the Order's faces, he raised his right hand and decided to reveal all.

"You don't know? Then I'll show you. I'll show you what your care has done for me! _Personas Legilimens Visios!_" he cried out, uttering the self memory showing spell.

What had transpired would be forever etched in the minds of those who watched. The men were trembling in anger and grief, the women cried, Mrs Weasley in particular let out an 'Oh my God!' and slumped over the table, Remus howled louder than ever before, and even Snape looked aghast. They saw Harry's life under the Dursleys…

_A 5 year old Harry was sitting on his tiny cot, eating from a can of baked beans from with his fingers because his relatives didn't give him a spoon. He was quietly eating his food while a loud 'Happy Birthday Dudley' was heard from the other side of his cupboard door, followed up by 'Who wants some cake?' Harry didn't cry or throw a tantrum, he simply ate with a slightly wistful look on his face._

_A 7 year old Harry was dutifully mopping the kitchen, while his chubby cousin was being dotted on by his sycophantic parents. Harry looked exhausted and like he hadn't been fed for a while, but did not complain. When Dudley spilled something on the floor, he began to cry and blamed it on Harry. Uncle Vernon strode over to Harry, wrenched the aluminium mop from his hands, and smashed it across Harry's head. Harry fell to the floor, but did not cry. He simply curled up as Vernon continued the assault, while Petunia was shouting at Harry for upsetting her 'Duddykins'_

_A 9 year old Harry was kneeling by his cot. On his wall, was a calendar that Harry had written using an old crayon. The date was the 25th of December. Voices of 'Open your other presents, Dudley' was heard. Harry was whispering something under his breath, his hands clasped together. He was praying, praying to be loved. Even for a little while, that's all he ever wanted. Tears leaked out his eyes, although he tried to hold it in._

Harry waved his hand and ended the spell with a sharp hand gesture, tears staining his face. He turned to the weeping headmaster of Hogwarts, sorrow and guilt in the old man's eyes. Harry's voice was no louder than a whisper, but everyone heard.

"Tell me that I was ok. Tell me that I was being protected. Tell me that I was wrong, that I wasn't alone for all those years. Tell me that you cared, Albus Dumbledore. Tell me that you cared for me." Dumbledore could not speak, so grief stricken was he upon seeing what he had sentenced the boy he supposedly loved like a grandson to for a decade. His voice, too, was no louder than a whisper.

"Harry…oh Harry, I'm so sorry…"

Harry turned away, not bearing to look at the periwinkle eyes of the man who as good as sentenced him to Azkaban. As he walked out of the doorway to the kitchen leaving behind the sorrowful Order of the Phoenix, he ran into four red heads and a bushy haired girl, all looking at Harry with saddened eyes. The tallest of the red head boys greeting him shakily,

"Harry…mate…is that you?" Despite what Harry was feeling at the moment, he was genuinely glad to see his friends.

"Hey Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Fred, George…how have you been?"

"Harry!" cried out Hermione as she ran to him and hugged him fiercely. She knocked the Boy-Who-Lived to the ground, causing the other Weasleys to crowd amongst the fallen young man. They poured out their hearts to this young man who had suffered for so long. However, did this not go unnoticed by one golden eyed girl and ice phoenix. From their point of view, their caretaker/master had been knocked to the ground and the others were going to finish the job.

"Mana will help Harry!" shrieked Mana as she wrenched the invisibility cloak off of her. She ran towards the oblivious group of teenagers in front of her. Aurora trilled in response, flapping her wings as she egged Mana on. Mana broke through the surprised wall of Weasleys and pounced on Hermione, who was still hugging Harry. Aurora squawked loudly as Mana dropped her cage in desperation. She tried to rip the surprised and now frightened Hermione off Harry.

"Leave Mana's Harry alone!" she commanded shrilly, tugging desperately at Hermione. Harry realised what was going on and tried to diffuse the situation. He rolled out of the way and grabbed Mana.

"Mana, stop!" he yelled out, "Stop this now!" Mana let of Hermione promptly and looked at Harry in confusion.

"But bad people try to hurt Harry. Mana won't let bad people hurt Harry!" she replied defiantly, her long brown hair dishevelled in the struggle. Harry sighed as Hermione, the Weasleys and the astounded Order of the Phoenix looked on. He stood up, pulling Mana up and grabbing Aurora's cage, before heading back to the kitchen. He beckoned for the Weasley children and Hermione to follow him. Once they were all present, Harry motioned all to listen. No one did otherwise.

"Bear with me, I have some explaining to do…"

_**Meanwhile**_

Blaise was walking along with her parents down Privet Drive, on the way to Number 4. She was wearing a pretty blue sundress today with matching red sandals, which accented her stature, pale skin, blue eyes and long, shiny black hair, giving her a look of beauty and elegance, which was accented by her above average height. People passing by couldn't help notice that Blaise was wearing some rudimentary make-up as well. Her parents looked on with some amusement, and whispered among themselves.

"Well Nirvana dear, it seems that our little girl is growing up." remarked Alfredo. His wife nodded and placed her hands on her cheeks.

"Correct as always, dear. Oh my! Do you think she is doing more than just playing around at young Harry's house?" asked the ditzy Zabini matriarch. Alfredo blinked

"Uhh, I don't think so dear." said Alfredo, trying hard not to visualise what Nirvana just said. Blaise turned her head,

"Something wrong, mom, dad?" she asked. Alfredo shook his head frantically. Blaise nodded and the trio continued walking to 4 Privet Drive. Although Harry told her that today would be the day his relatives would return, it had totally slipped her mind. And so, when she rang the doorbell of 4 Privet Drive, she was quite surprised to see Petunia Dursley staring at her. Obviously, Blaise's beauty and clothing had made an impact on the bitter Dursley matriarch.

"Can I help you, my dear?" she asked in an overly sweet voice, "Have you come to see our dear son Dudley?" Blaise blinked as she thought of a response.

_This must be Harry's aunt…something tells me that she is as bad as her voice acting…_

"No ma'am." replied Blaise politely, "I am here to see Harry." Petunia's face immediately turned sour.

"Why on earth would you want to see that boy!" snapped Petunia. Alfredo and surprisingly, Nirvana frowned. No-one talked to their daughter like this! Blaise stared Petunia down defiantly.

"He's my friend, and he goes to the same school I do." she replied coldly. Petunia glared at the Slytherin beauty with utter loathing.

"You're a freak! Get the hell out of my sight!" she screeched. Blaise stepped back, shaking slightly as Vernon and Dudley joined the fray.

"We don't want your kind here! Move it or I will call the police!" roared Vernon

"Yeah, I hope you get wasted like my stupid cousin's parents!" chorused Dudley. Alfredo could take it any longer. His daughter was under threat for no reason, and from what he had heard for Lily and James Potter, they were good people (and James was a distant relative anyway). He strode forward, gently but firmly pushing Blaise out of the way as he plunged his hands into his pocket, looking for his wand. The Dursleys visibly stiffened at this, and Alfredo Zabini couldn't help but smile somewhat grimly.

"I will forget this whole incident if you apologise to my daughter and if you tell me the whereabouts of young Mr Potter." Alfredo said coldly, letting his aristocratic voice ring through. The Dursleys were awed, but Vernon was too stupid to back down.

"Why should we tell you? Doesn't your kind look into a crystal ball for that kind of stuff?" sneered Vernon. Alfredo shook off the insult.

"Maybe I could, but wouldn't it seem more logical to ask the young man's relatives where he may be." replied Alfredo coolly.

"As if we'd tell you? Why can't you monsters leave us in peace?" growled Vernon, his fat body turning red all over. Alfredo wasn't amused. He levelled his wand towards the (fat) neck of Vernon Dursley.

"Tell me where the boy is, and apologise to my daughter now, muggle," he said viciously, "Or there will be hell to pay." Petunia foolishly tried to take control.

"Never! I'll never help you freaks, or help your freak spawn! For all I know, you just want your blasted girl and the boy to spawn more abominations! Why should we apologise to her! We're doing the world a favour!" screeched Petunia. Blaise blushed slightly but Alfredo was red with anger. Of course, Dudley wasn't smart enough to see through the situation.

"That stupid freak girl can't do anything. Maybe she should hang around me; I'll show her what a real man is like." he said in a vain attempt to be sexy. Alfredo had enough.

"You'll pay for that, you little bastard!" he roared, making some quick gestures with his wand, "_Vera Vexus!_"

A blinding light burst from Alfredo's wand and struck the frightened Dursleys. When the light had subsided, Blaise turned and looked at the Dursleys. There were human no longer.

They had been transfigured into pigs. Pink and with curly tails. One ridiculously fat one (Vernon), another slightly smaller but no less chubby one (Dudley) and a relatively thin one with a long neck (Petunia). 'Petunia' squealed frantically as she rambled around her husband and son. Alfredo looked haughty as he flourished his wand and returned it into his pocket. Blaise looked at her father.

"Dad…you didn't‎ have to do that…" she whispered as she looked at her father's handiwork. Alfredo smirked.

"They had it coming. Besides, I don't like the thought of anyone insulting you, princess." he said, genuinely smiling slightly, a feat so rare that it ranked one below Voldemort dancing around Diagon Alley, singing about how proud he was to be a half-blood. Blaise smiled and hugged her father.

"Thanks dad." she said sincerely, while making a mental promise to play a larger role in her father's life. Nirvana's face looked uncharacteristically serious as she surveyed the pork-like Dursleys.

"I don't understand…"she said softly, "I would have thought Harry grew up with loving relatives, judging by his personality." Blaise disengaged from her father's embrace and looked at her mother sadly.

"That just proved my theory. During the days I stayed here, I saw Harry's room. It was the smallest in the house, and it had barely any furnishings. On the other hand, his porky cousin's room was filled to the brim with belongings, and he also had a playroom. In their muggle pictures, they didn't have one of Harry at all. Finally, Harry always seems to always flinch whenever I walk by the cupboard under the stairs. Once, when he was away training, I looked inside and I…I saw a cot with Harry's name on it. There was some muggle food stored under the bed, and it all looked the same…" whispered Blaise, wiping her eyes, "He's a neglected child…"

"Impossible." breathed Nirvana, "How…how could a kind young man like him come from such abusive family?"

"I don't know, dear," replied Alfredo softly, "But I won't stand for him to live in this…this…hellhole. He deserves better."

"Can, can he stay at out mansion, dad?" asked Blaise, almost hopefully.

"I would invite him right now, but as it stands, we don't know where he is." said Alfredo.

"But that poor boy! He could be anywhere! His relatives as good as kicked him out of the house!" Nirvana gasped.

"They probably did." said Blaise bleakly. Alfredo shook his head.

"I am sure young Harry is alright. He did, after all, escape from the Dark Lord multiple times. He is resourceful. I am sure he will be fine. You will just have to meet him on September the first, Blaise." Blaise nodded, but didn't look into her father's eyes. Nirvana pointed to the Dursleys, who were now making a mess on Petunia's beloved garden. Alfredo smiled cruelly.

"Well, there is a reason why our incompetent ministry has an 'Accidental' Magic Reversal Squad." he said with some satisfaction, "Let's be off then."

_**Back at 12 Grimmauld Place**_

"…And that's my story."

Harry had just finished telling his friends and the Order what had transpired. Taking a leaf from Dumbledore's book, he didn't tell everything, just the truth from a 'certain point of view'. While he did tell them that he emancipated himself, he didn't tell them of his virtual two and half years of training, his awakening, or his newfound magical capabilities, He just told them that he had 'read some stuff and practiced, as well as exercise'. He also stuck with Hagrid's version with how Mana came around, who was squirming under the scrutiny of the Order of the Phoenix. He told them how he got Aurora, but had to tell them the truth as there was no point lying, and a half-giant Care of Magical Creatures teacher turned red when Harry redirected some heat on him. Finally, he finished off with his 'removal' from Four Privet Drive, and wasn't shy about revealing how happy he was because of it.

"Harry, I never thought they would kick you out of the house." said Dumbledore softly when Harry re-counted his freedom from the Dursleys. Harry smiled grimly.

"Of course you wouldn't know. How could I possibly blame you? You **_never_** checked on me…" he said, almost mockingly. Once again, Dumbledore winced from Harry's accusation. "Now that you have been updated, and not been kept in the dark about things," Dumbledore winced again, "I would like to talk to my friends, headmaster, or do you **care** so much that you're going to tell me something better?"

"No Harry, I believe Misters and Miss Weasley and Miss Granger are happy to see you. We will not interfere." Nodding curtly, Harry led his friends out of the kitchen and into the lounge room, before he broke into a warm smile.

"Hey guys…you do realise that I'm happy to see you again…" He said playfully. Immediately, his friends smiled. Ron and the twins went up to Harry and gave him manly one-armed hugs.

"Mate, it's great that you're back. Man, I want to take the hickey out of those blasted muggles." said Ron as he thumped Harry on the back. Ron had grown even taller than when Harry last saw him, reaching the majestic height of 6ft. Although his body wasn't as well toned as Harry's, Ron seemed to have filled out somewhat, so he didn't seem so gangly. He still had his trademark Weasley red hair, although it was trimmed quite neatly. Harry grinned.

"You're looking quite well, Ron. Could it be because a certain Hufflepuff has been keeping you up at night?" he asked coyly. Ron blushed red while the twins cried out 'we didn't need to know that'. Ginny moved in for the kill.

"Yeah, you would think that a girlfriend would put some responsibility into his Quidditch infested brain. But no, he just wants to look good for his beloved Eloise, because they're both such diehard Cannons fans." The youngest Weasley had grown quite pretty over the holidays. Height wise, there was not much change, but her once plain red hair had changed into a shimmering fire, a deeper bright red. Ginny's body had also filled out somewhat, revealing some promising curves. Hermione decided to save Ron's dignity.

"Oh, come now Ginny, at least Ron is trying. Cut him some slack, will you?" the muggle born witch said with an amused voice. Like Ginny, Hermione did not grow much in terms of height but her figure had filled out considerably, giving the know-it-all an almost…sexy appearance. Ron smiled weakly.

"Err…I would have told you Harry, but I got together with Eloise after your break up with Cho, and I thought you…" Harry put up his hand.

"Say no more. Thanks for trying to be considerate, Ron."

"So you're ok with it?" asked Ron.

"Of course." said Harry loyally. The twins sniggered.

"Oh, this is rich, Ronniekin's best mate is backing him up!" chortled George. Harry raised his eyebrow.

"Well, at least he's getting some action, which is more than I can say for you two." said Harry smoothly. That shut the twins up. Hermione stared at Harry again; she was seeing him a new light.

"Harry…you've changed so much…so much has happened this month," Hermione looked at Mana and Aurora, "and your phoenix is so beautiful!" she gushed. Aurora trilled happily from her cage and sang her phoenix song, soothing everyone in the room.

"By the way, Harry, are you going to give us a better introduction to the lovely lady that came with you?" asked Fred coyly. Harry smiled as he beckoned Mana to stand next to him.

"Mana, these are my friends." he said, pointing to each person as he called their names. She frowned slightly when Harry pointed out Hermione, and was utterly confused with Fred and George.

"Harry…?" she asked, totally vexed, "Fred and George are same!" The twins smirked, while Ron, Hermione and Ginny laughed. Harry shook his head.

"Fred and George are twins, Mana."

"Twins?" asked Mana curiously.

"They are siblings who are born at the same time. These two have identical features." said Hermione. Mana nodded but her eyes clearly showed she didn't understand a word.

Harry spent the best part of the rest of the morning telling his friends more details about his 21 days with Mana; how difficult it was to teach her initially (Harry turned red when he recounted Mana's first shower, while Ron and the twins catcalled), how Mana acted like a little toddler experiencing the world, and how Blaise was teaching Mana how to talk.

"Wait, you mean Zabini, our year from Slytherin?" Interrupted Hermione sharply. Harry nodded.

"Yeah. She's quite a nice person, not like your typical Slytherin. Anyways, I owe her quite a bit for all the time she has given up to teach Mana." said Harry. Mana nodded eagerly.

"Mmm hmm, Blaise is very good to Mana." she said enthusiastically. Hermione simply nodded.

The friends were chatting comfortably until around 2:00, when Mrs Weasley called them for lunch. The group of seven (with Aurora and Pigwidgeon in tow) entered the kitchen once more, though many of the Order members had left. Only Mr and Mrs Weasley, Bill, Charlie, Tonks, Kingsley, Moody, Hagrid, Lupin, some Order members Harry did not know the name of and Dumbledore had remained. The rough dinner table, however, was laden with delicious morsels, courtesy of Mrs Weasley. Harry and his posse took their seats, with Mana sitting next to Harry. She was clearly awed at the sight of so much food, much less the cutlery that was magically moving itself towards the plates in front of each person. She nudged Harry softly as a spoon and fork landed on her plate.

"How…?" she asked with fascination. Harry smiled slightly at her wide-eyed innocent look of curiosity.

"Magic." Harry replied simply. Mana's eyes widened.

"Ok…if Mana a witch, and witch do magic, then can Mana do that?" she asked almost hopefully. Harry laughed, his green eyes sparkling and his elegant black hair swaying softly, catching the attention of Tonks, who blushed slightly.

"You will learn, Mana. At Hogwarts." Mana nodded, and looked ravenous when some food was placed into her plate. Mrs Weasley was in her mega-mother mode as she heaped several helpings of chicken, salad and potatoes onto Mana's plate. She smiled kindly at the golden-eyed girl as she poked curiously at her food.

"Eat all you want, dear." she encouraged. Mana blinked, and tilted her head to the side. Harry explained to Mrs Weasley.

"Sorry, Mrs Weasley, but she doesn't understand. I'll teach her what to do." Once again, Harry helped Mana to eat her food. The group at the tables enjoyed the lunch immensely, while engaging in light conversation. Interestingly enough, Dumbledore didn't say much. Only when the meal was mostly over, did real conversations start. While everyone was interested in Harry's change, it was Lupin who started things off.

"So, Harry," he asked gently, "How have you been, considering what has happened…?" Everyone knew that Lupin was referring to Sirius' death, and Ron and Hermione looked anxiously at Harry, fearing he might lose his temper. To everyone's surprise, Harry simply shrugged.

"I've been dealing with it, and I'm over it. I am sad that he's gone, but I won't let it affect me. I won't let his death break me." he said defiantly. Hermione cast Harry a critical eye.

_Oh my, he's really changed…in just a month, too! Not only does his personality seem different, but he looks so handsome! Oh my God, did I just think that!_ Hermione blushed slightly. Lupin looked surprised at Harry's answer, but smiled nonetheless.

"I'm glad, Harry. I know Sirius wouldn't have wanted us to mope around, he would probably have pulled a prank on us if we did…" Everyone chuckled. Moody looked at Harry curiously. He had been most interested in Harry's newfound attitude to constant vigilance.

"So, Potter, it seems that you've grown quite a bit, magic wise." he said flatly. Moody wasn't one to beat around the bush. Harry nodded.

"Well, Voldemort is at large, you know. I'm not going to survive this war by staying ignorant." Moody smiled at this, making him look something akin to Frankenstein's monster.

"Well said, sonny. It's good that the youth these days haven't lost their wits." Kingsley made his move.

"I see. You ever thought of a career as an Auror, Potter?" he asked.

"I've considered it. And I hope I can accomplish it, my OWLs are good enough to take courses require for mandatory Auror subjects."

"Oh, what did you get, Harry?" asked Hermione eagerly. Ron rolled his eyes and muttered, _Honestly, some people need to sort out their priorities_.

"13 OWLs, Acceptable grades for History of Magic, Astronomy and Divination, Exceeds Expectations for Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, and Outstanding for Charms, Transfiguration, Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts." he replied, not telling Hermione of his Sensational grade. He didn't want to show off. Everyone exchanged awestruck looks.

"Wow! Those are great results, Harry!" exclaimed Tonks.

"Your parents would have been proud." said Lupin.

"You'll make a fine Auror, just like your father, Potter." said Kingsley approvingly.

"I am proud that you have achieved such fine results, Harry." said Dumbledore, who up to this moment had remained quiet. Harry did not choose to bag out his headmaster, but rather nodded briefly.

"Thanks, headmaster." he said mildly, almost formally. Dumbledore had the look of a deflated balloon because of Harry's answer, but did not say much. Mana had paid no attention whatsoever, she was happily eating fourth and fifth helpings to Mrs Weasley's excellent lunch. She had finished a succulent chicken leg and grinned, not noticing the bit of meat on her lip. Harry did, however, and turned to her.

"Mana, you've got something on your mouth." The owl girl blinked her eyes and tilted her head to the side.

"Hmm?"

"Here, I'll get it." with that, Harry took the piece of meat from her mouth, and ate it. Mana blushed softly, not noticing the looks of envy from Hermione and Tonks.

Harry spent the rest of the summer at Grimmauld Place with happiness. He was spending a lot of time with his friends, who had taken a liking to Mana. Ron often tried to sway her to his way of thinking, so by the end of Harry's first few days at Grimmauld Place, she knew what the Chudley Cannons were and the names of all their players, reserves and coaches for the last 10 years. Hermione and Ginny had taken it upon themselves to instruct Mana in the ways of the woman; that is, how to act like a modern day witch, and how to interact with others. Harry like this idea, since Blaise had taught Mana only the bare essentials. Thus, Mana learnt how to dress in robes, and even started to understand more of the magical world, although she was, relative to everyone else in terms of intelligence and conversational ability, not the shiniest wand in the shop. The twins often tried to joke around with Mana. Mrs Weasley nearly had a stroke when Mana ate a Canary Cream, and even Harry felt somewhat peeved, but when he saw Mana laughing openly after she transformed back, he relaxed. Seeing as he felt some kind of obligation to keep her entertained, he allowed the twins to joke around with Mana, as long as they didn't go overboard with the pranks. Aurora, Harry's beautiful phoenix, was the subject of many admiring stares. Aurora felt quite good about this, and often sung her song as she glided around the dark halls of Grimmauld Place. Surprisingly, the portraits kept quiet, even Mrs Black. Dumbledore admired Aurora the most.

"She is an extremely beautiful and rare bird, Harry." he said, after catching up to Harry as he walked towards the kitchen for dinner one day.

"She is, isn't she. A tad big headed, though." he replied, but with no anger in his voice this time. Dumbledore's eyes twinkled at this, ever so slightly.

"It is because her master has taken good care of her, which speaks a lot for his character." ventured Dumbledore. Harry caught Dumbledore's blatant hint of goodwill, but decided not to blow up on him…yet.

"What do you want from me, headmaster?" he asked softly. Dumbledore lowered his head.

"I…I know that I have utterly betrayed your trust, Harry. I still cannot forgive myself for the foolish decisions I have made."

"Go on." was Harry's cool reply.

"I want to make amends. I would you like to ask your forgiveness, Harry. I know you will not give it easily, but I want to rebuild the relationship we once had." he began tentatively. Harry's face was impassive, him and Dumbledore not noticing that many of the occupants of 12 Grimmauld Place were filling up the entrances of the corridors, trying to hear what was going on.

"And what makes you think I will trust you, after all that have screwed me over for? I mean, I would understand if you made truly accidental mistakes, but you know that the decisions you made were from your own 'faultless' view of what was best."

"Harry, we discussed this, I am not young anymore…" began Dumbledore.

"Doesn't experience come with age?" shot back Harry, "And besides, for all those years I was in that muggle hell, did you once even check up on me? See if I was eating enough, or that I wasn't being tormented by my relatives. My parents had been killed, and you send me there of all places? You chose not to care for me, Dumbledore, despite the fact it was your own idea to send me there. You were defiant in not fulfilling my parent's will, you were ignorant of the law for not following it, and you were irresponsible for not checking up on me. Now, would any sane person trust a person who screwed them up that badly?"

"Will I ever be able to restore your trust in me, Harry? Is there anyway I can make it up to you?" pleaded Dumbledore. Harry's cold gaze never wavered.

"You are my headmaster, and thus I will listen to any orders from you regarding academic matters. You are my counsel against Voldemort, for obvious reasons. I will help you, you will help me. But apart from that, I wouldn't hold my breath for anymore." Dumbledore lowered his head sorrowfully, and left, not noticing the saddened looks of the people who watched the whole thing. Harry gave Dumbledore's back a final glare, and then stalked off towards his room. The people who had gathered around looked at the broken look on Harry's face, and could only pity poor Harry for all that had happened to him. Ron, being the loyal best friend that he is, followed Harry to his room. The red head found Harry lying on his bed, staring aimlessly at the ceiling. Ron awkwardly made his way to the side of Harry's bed, and sat down.

"You ok, mate?" he asked tentatively. Dull as the youngest son of Weasley clan was, even he knew when his friend was hurting.

"I'm fine, Ron. But thanks for asking." Harry said softly, "It's just that I don't know who to trust anymore. I trusted Dumbledore with my life and he screwed me over royally…" Ron tightened his fist vigorously.

"You know you can trust me, right Harry? I would never betray you like that!" he said firmly. Harry smiled slightly at this.

"I know. Hermione and you have always been with me. How can I not trust the guy whom I consider as the brother I never had?" Harry grinned at Ron, who brushed the back of his fiery hair and blushed. Ron composed himself, and pressed on.

"But I have this feeling you haven't told us everything."

"Correct."

"Why?" Harry sat up and stared Ron in the eye. The red head had rarely ever seen Harry so serious.

"I can't tell you know, Ron, because it relates to a plan I have in mind. It's not that I don't trust you, but I have to say that Dumbledore can read your mind as easily as Hermione can read a book, while Voldemort could probably torture secrets from a rock. It is the third party that I do not trust." Ron looked slightly disappointed, but he nodded.

"I guess I can understand. I don't want your plan, whatever it is, to fail because You-Know-Who gets me-"

"That's not going to happen!" interjected Harry sharply. Ron looked surprised, but continued.

"I know, mate. You gotta save the day, eh?" (It was Harry's turn to blush now), "But you know, you'll never get rid of me and Hermione. We're here to the end, you know."

"Yeah, you two are going to nag me to death one day…"

The two boys shared a hearty laugh. They spent the next 10 minutes talking about meaningless things when Ron mentioned his award/patent he received for Blast-Ended Skrewts.

"…You know, we did quite well considering we kinda slacked off during OWL study," chortled Ron, "I mean, you aced your exams and even got the highest in Defence Against the Dark Arts, and I wasted Fred and George's score as well as getting my little patent." Harry looked thoughtful at this.

"Hermione's not going to like this." he said seriously.

"Why? Wouldn't she be proud of us?" Ron asked, scratching his fiery hair. Harry made a face.

"Listen, she tried her absolute hardest all these years to be number one, and we barely put in any effort and we get all these rewards. Wouldn't she feel, in the shadow or something? I mean, she's considered the bookworm against us two, the Boy-Who-Lived and the Weasley With The Attitude (Ron snorted at this, but knew it to be true). And now, we've taken what she's been working on. I think she might not like that." A rare look of enlightenment crossed Ron's face as he put 2 and 2 together.

"I get it. I know that feeling, it's similar to what I feel when I get compared to my brothers. Being second place to everyone else, trying to make something out of myself." Ron said sagely, briefly feeling a burst of shame as he recalled his fourth year jealousy.

"So you see why we shouldn't tell Hermione yet? I don't want to lose her." urged Harry. Ron stared at Harry for a few moments, than nodded.

"You got it, mate. But she's gonna find out sooner or later…"

The days leading up to September the First proceeded relatively quietly. Of course, Mrs Weasley did have a mini-stroke the morning the trio were due to go to Diagon Alley, because she found Mana sleeping comfortably next to Harry, who was looking embarrassed beyond belief, if not for the fact that a beautiful girl had somehow snuggled up next to him during the night without him knowing, than probably for being discovered by none other than Mrs Weasley. The fact that Ron was catcalling and making lewd comments didn't help much either.

"_Wha…WHAT IN MERLIN'S NAME IS GOING ON HERE!" shrieked Mrs Weasley, turning as red as her hair._

"_Mrs Weasley, I have a perfectly good reason…" stuttered Harry, turning a sickly crimson colour._

"_Harry, you randy devil! Doing the naughty deed while I'm in the room, you exhibitionist, you!" cackled Ron. Mrs Weasley's wrath turned on him._

"_RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! WHERE IN THE WORLD DID YOU LEARN SUCH VULGAR TERMS! IF YOU DON'T GET YOUR MOUTH CLEANED I'LL DO IT GREAT-AUNT MAGGIE'S WAY!" Ron immediately shut up – the 'Great-Aunt Maggie' incident had scarred him for life. Mana had woken up due to the commotion._

"_Hmm? What goes on?" she asked curiously amid Mrs Weasley's verbal bombardment._

"_YOUNG LADY YOU ARE IN SO MUCH TROUBLE!" hollered Mrs Weasley, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN HARRY'S BED!" Mana, to her credit, was unfazed by the shouting. She wrapped her arms around Harry and smiled benignly._

"_Mana always sleeps with Harry in old house. Mana got lonely so Mana sleeps with Harry." She tilted her head again, "What means, 'randy devil'? Is Mana, 'randy devil'?" she asked innocently._

_Mrs Weasley fainted on the spot._

After clearing up and explaining things at breakfast, the Weasley family, Hermione, Harry and Mana headed to Diagon Alley, to buy spellbooks and ingredients needed for the upcoming terms. Harry gave a list of what he and Mana needed for the year (Mana would take the same subjects as he, but she also needed additional books on 'self-learning'. Her books were special edition types for 'special people'. Harry, Mana and Ron went to Olliviander's to buy a wand for Mana.

"You excited, Mana? You're gonna get your own wand!" grinned Ron at Mana. She clapped her hands playfully, her golden eyes sparkling.

"Ooh yeah, Mana's pumped up!" said Mana, stumbling slightly over the words a certain Weasley taught her. Ron's grin widened.

"Excellent! You're learning my words!" Harry sighed as he talked to Mr Olliviander.

"Ah, Harry." greeted Olliviander jovially, "How goes your…wand?" Harry made a slight nod, signalling to Olliviander that all was well and that the subject shouldn't be discussed here. Olliviander caught on, unfortunately so did Ron, who thought to himself, _Is there something wrong with Harry's wand?_

"Good. Now, I see that this lovely young lady needs a wand, yes?" Harry nodded, pulled Mana over and presented.

"This is Mana, Mr Olliviander." introduced Harry. Mana's smile widened.

"Hidey-ho!" She learnt that off Tonks. Olliviander grinned as he got down to business.

"Well, let's get started. If you'll give me your wand hand please…"

The process took around 10 minutes. The first 5 consisted of Olliviander presenting a dragon heartstring wand to Mana, who promptly tried to devour it. The next 3 consisted of scolding from Harry to an embarrassed Mana, while Ron and Olliviander looked on in amusement. Mana got the right wand on her fifth try.

"Hmm, let me see, Unicorn tail hair, 10 inches, Oak, excellent for transfiguration and runes." muttered Olliviander as Mana waved the wand around energetically, making it release reddish-white sparks. He gently took the wand away from her to pack it in a box, and gave it to Harry (for safekeeping).

"That will be 7 galleons and 10 sickles."

"Here's 8, keep the change." said Harry as he shoved a few gold coins into Olliviander's desk. The eccentric wand maker smiled as he waved the three off.

"Good luck you three, especially to you Miss Mana. I'm sure your wand will help you with **your talents**."

The trio made their way to Flourish & Blotts, where the rest of the Weasleys were waiting. Harry had a small smile seeing Ron comparing wands with Mana.

"…you see, my wand is also unicorn hair and great with magical creatures…" boasted Ron. Mana simply looked at her wand and poked Ron in the chest.

"Mana likes her wand too." she exclaimed.

Harry, however, did not notice the multitude of teenage and young adult witches casting appraising looks at him. He did not hear them whisper among themselves.

"Black hair…green eyes…scar…that's got to be Harry Potter!" muttered a random girl.

"Wow! He's so sexy! I could just die!" exclaimed another girl, who would soon be Harry Potter's first official fan girl.

"And all the things he did, including last year! He's a hero in my eyes!" shrieked a fourth year Ravenclaw.

"And he's probably a hero in bed, too." replied her older sister as she gazed at the fine male specimen walking by, drool forming around her lips.

"Ooh, I'd like to get to know that hunk." whispered a female Auror as Harry strode past, confidence and power in his steps.

"Hey, don't about Harry like that!" exclaimed her pink-haired companion (Tonks). The ladies around her stopped, stared, before closing in on her like a group of sharks, bombarding the clumsy Auror with questions.

"You know him!"

"Harry Potter? The-Hunk-Who-Captured-My-Heart!"

"How did he get so damn fine!"

"Is he good in the sack?"

Harry, oblivious to the fact that the female magical population just found themselves a new god to worship, entered Flourish and Blotts to meet the others. Mrs Weasley gave Harry, Mana and Ron their books, and when Harry tried to pay for them, Mrs Weasley refused it and pushed to galleons back to Harry.

"No, I won't accept it. Any mother would do the same for her son." she said kindly. Harry, who had rarely ever heard such words, found that tears were about to blur his vision.

"Thank you, Mrs Weasley. A son that calls you his mother is a lucky man, indeed."

As the group were about to Floo their way back home, Harry couldn't help but notice Madame Bones walk past with Susan Bones. He mused quietly to himself. _Hmm…if I ever try to go public with Sirius' innocence, it'll be through her. That's odd. Susan wasn't wearing glasses last year…_

On the night of August the 31st, when everyone was asleep (including Mana, who was in her own bed this time), Harry was awake, making a mental list of things he wanted to do when he got back to Hogwarts. Aurora, perched on Harry's bedside table, sung a soft phoenix song that cleared Harry's mind…

"Hmm…Firstly, I have to stop this house rivalry. It's good to have competition, but it goes too far sometimes. Blaise is a living example of why Slytherin is a Hogwarts House. We'll never succeed unless we stand together, like how the Sorting Hat said. Secondly, I need to get ready for Voldemort. I'm not strong enough to defeat him alone now, but when the time comes I will be. That means I'll have to continue my studies, alone and unknown if possible. Since Mana is new, I also have to keep a very careful eye around her. Honest to goodness I love and care about her, but I know what's she's like. She'll probably cause more trouble than the Marauders ever did with her 'discoveries'. Speaking of which, I'm also going to find a way to prove Sirius' innocence to the public. Finally, I have to convince the Weasleys' about Percy's true self. He's really a good man, and I plan on letting them know that. Nothing is going to break me this year. From now on, Harry Potter is going to start calling the shots now. It's time I stopped acting like a boy and faced life like a man."

And with that, Harry fell asleep, not dreaming of what could have been, but rather, what will be when he follows what he truly believes.

AN: There you have it, Golden Eyes Chapter 6 after months and months of work, breaks, writer's blocks and revivals. Thanks for the reviews, they really got me going on the story again. Next chapter of course, the trio and Mana will be back in Hogwarts for the sixth year. I'll be using elements from HBP but remember, this was written before HBP was released. Voldemort will also make an appearance, and Harry will find that he has a lot more on his hands that he could have ever dreamed. Stay tuned for Golden Eyes 7, The New Defence Teacher.


End file.
